Where Love Began
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: She thought he was everything; He thought she hung the moon. Now, Bella and Edward face their toughest challenge in a race against time. Will love be enough? AH & NC-17 Cannon Pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**BPOV- PRESENT DAY**

I slammed the front door on my way out of the house, fuming at the horse's ass that was just standing on the other side. Standing there not giving a shit about my feelings or how I felt about what he did, or didn't do as the case may be. How could he be so selfish? Was I nothing to him? No, I wasn't anything to him. Not anymore, anyway. There was a time when he thought I hung the moon but that's changed now. I wasn't even sure when it changed.

I pushed all thoughts of Edward out of my head and climbed into my car. I was already running late for work thanks to the ten minutes I spent in that screaming match. Ten minutes later, I parked my car in the faculty parking lot and headed inside. I grabbed the mail from my mail box inside the office and headed down to my classroom. My teacher's assistant, and lifesaver, Angela Cheney, was sitting behind her desk in the back of our classroom, rubbing her large belly and smiling. I would not be able to do anything without her constantly saving my ass.

"Morning, Bella," smiled Angela.

"Hey, Ang," I said, trying to smile but it hadn't been a good morning. "How are you feeling?"

"Like this little fella is going to claw his way out of my abdomen," she said, bluntly. "Are you ok? You look like hell."

"I'm fine," I said, coyly as I started passing out the first set of papers we were going to be working on in class. "Did you happen to get those copies ran off for me?"

"Yes, they are in your inbox," she said, quietly.

I nodded my head and finished passing out all the papers, placing one on each desk. Once I had those ready, I went over and pushed open my classroom door and greeted my kids. There was nothing like the smiles on fifteen five year olds to make you smile, even if you weren't in the mood to smile.

"Good morning, friends," I said, smiling. "Come on in and have a seat at your desks."

As my kids passed by me a couple of the little girls hugged me. It was my favorite part of our morning routine. I talked to a couple of parents before shutting my classroom door and getting our day started. We had barely gotten through the pledge of allegiance, however, when my classroom door was thrown open. I looked over, pissed at whoever was barging into my classroom. I quickly sobered up when I saw the man holding the gun in his hand. The gun that he had pointed directly at me.

"Where's my boy?" he asked, gruffly. I stumbled back into the white board behind me as the children started screaming. "SHUT UP, YOU FUCKING LITTLE BRATS!"

Of course, all that did was make the kids start screaming and crying more. Angela looked frozen as she sat at her desk, hand still resting on her belly. I looked from her over to the man with the gun. I had never seen this man before and had no idea why he was storming into my classroom with a gun but I knew that I had to protect my kids.

"Friends, quiet," I said, holding up my hands. The kids stopped screaming but they were still sniffling. I turned to the man. "You are scaring them."

"I don't give a shit," he growled, waving his gun around. "I want my boy."

"I don't know who you are talking about," I said, trying to be as calm as I possibly could. "Put the gun down."

"SHUT UP!" he shouted, pointing the gun back at me as he took two steps towards me. The kids started crying louder. "TELL THEM TO SHUT UP!"

"You're scaring them," I snapped, moving so that I was standing between him and them as much as I could.

"Just move them to the back of the room, away from the windows," he growled. "They are giving me a fucking headache."

I kept my eyes on him as much as I could as I motioned for the kids to move to the back wall of our classroom. I settled down on the floor with them, holding onto any part of them as I could. Angela had moved over and was holding half while I held onto half. We shared a look as we settled against the wall. This was not how we anticipated our day going. As I sat there against the wall, surrounded by my students, my kids, I thought back to the last words Edward said to me this morning.

"_If you don't like it, you can leave."_

**EPOV-PRESENT DAY**

I stood there in the living room watching Bella storm out of the house, pissed and angry. It's all she had been lately and it was getting fucking old. I ran my hands through my hair and silently screamed. I was getting so tired of all this shit. Fighting all the time was getting old. Why couldn't she just stop being a bitch for five seconds?

I shook my head as I headed out to my car and headed down to the police station. Because of our most recent argument, I was running late again but she didn't care that I needed to get in to work. All she did was nag and bitch at me. I parked my car next to my partner and best friend, Jasper Whitlock, and headed inside. Jasper was sitting at his desk, thumbing through the newspaper. I plopped down at my desk and tossed my keys onto the dark wood.

"What the hell is up with you, man?" asked Jasper.

"Nothing," I spat, keeping my eyes down on the stack of paper work in front of me.

"Yeah, I can tell," he snorted. "You and Bella fighting again?"

"None of your fucking business, Jas," I bit out.

"That would be a yes," he said. I looked up at him and saw him smirking. "What did you do this time?"

"What make you think that I did something?" I asked, harshly. "She could have been the one that was wrong."

Jasper just sat there and stared at me. I rolled my eyes as I looked back down at the paper work. "Apparently, I was selfish again last night for having a beer out with Emmett instead of coming home after work."

"You didn't call first, did you?" asked Jasper.

"She's not my fucking mom," I growled. "I don't need her permission to have a beer with my brother."

"Whatever," said Jasper, shaking his head. "Dude, you are being a prick."

"Whitlock," yelled our captain from his office door. "You and Cullen, stop gossiping like a couple of old women and get your asses in here."

Jasper gave me a look as he got up and headed over to the office. I sighed inwardly and followed him. Captain Davis shut his door behind us and took a deep breath. What ever was going through his mind wasn't good and, honestly, it was worrying the crap out of me. The captain never acted like this.

"What's going on, Cap?" asked Jasper, folding his arms across his chest.

"Hostage situation," he said, looking right at me, "at Clover Elementary."

I felt the color drain from my face and I knew. Somehow, I just knew. "Cap?" I asked, barely able to get the words out.

"It's Bella's class," he muttered. I stumbled backwards a couple of steps. "Cullen-"

"Let's go," I said, shortly and pushing past the both of them. I stormed out to my desk and picked up my keys.

"Cullen," he yelled. I snapped around and looked at him. "You can't handle this case."

"I have to," I snapped. "She…I….I have to."

"Edward-"

"Cap, please," I whispered and closing my eyes. "Please."

"Fine, but if I think you are losing it…"

"I know," I muttered.

Jasper didn't say anything as he followed me out to the car. He pushed me over to the passenger side of the car and gave me a look that clearly said 'don't even think about it.' I climbed into the passenger seat and looked out the window as Jasper drove us through Seattle and down to the school were my Bella worked. All I could think of were the last words she said to me.

"_I can't live like this anymore. You don't care about me or my feelings."_


	2. Chapter 2

**BPOV-EIGHT YEARS AGO**

When I was a little girl, all I wanted was to find a man like my father. I know that sounds a little creepy but it's not the way it sounded. My father was the most caring, understanding man I had ever met. There was never a time that I doubted that he loved me or put me first. Whether it was him working overtime so I could have dance lessons, or listening to me ramble on for hours about a book I had just read, my father always had time for me. Which was why it was so hard to stand here in front of the dark, grey gravestone, knowing that it would most likely be the last time I ever stood here.

I knelt down in front of the stone, reaching out and letting my fingers run over his name; Charles Andrew Swan. It had only been three months since I last saw his smile, or heard him laughing. Even though there was nothing remotely funny at the end of his long battle with cancer, he still tried to smile and laugh for me. I could feel the tears building in my eyes, spilling down my face.

"Dad," I murmured. "I miss you."

The air was chilly, even though it was still August. Forks Washington was never warm or sunny but it was home. Was being the key word. It wasn't home for me anymore. I didn't actually have a home. I had a new place to live but it wasn't my home. Not yet at least. I took a shaky breath as I tried to speak again.

"I got into Berkeley, Dad," I whispered, barely able to get the words out. "You always said I would and I guess it was just one more way that you were right. You're probably gloating right now," I cried. Running my hand over my face, wiping away as many of my tears as I could get, I stood up. "I love you, Daddy. I hope you will be proud of me."

I turned and ran through the cemetery and climbed into my car. It used to be Charlie's car but when he got too sick to drive, I inherited it. Looking back once more, I started his car and headed onto the highway, and away from the only home I had ever known.

The hours passed slowly as I made the trip down the west coast to California. It was the first time that I had ever been out of the state of Washington and it felt like I was leaving the old Bella behind me. The sun set and the darkness surrounded me but I powered on. The roads were nearly dead and I still kept going. The only company I had was the music pouring out of the radio and the occasional cups of coffee from my few stops along the way. Those and my memories.

It was just after nine in the morning when I pulled into the dorm parking of Jones Hall at Berkeley University to start my freshman year. I sat in my car for several minutes, gaining the energy to climb out of the car and start lugging my belongings up the three flights to my new room, my new home, maybe.

Slowly, I climbed out of the car, stretching out my muscles as much as I could. I had been in the car too long and my balance was completely off. I tripped over my feet and started to fall. Before I hit the ground, however, a pair of arms, snaked out from behind me and caught me, pulling me upright. I spun in their arms and looked up to see who my hero was.

The man standing in front of me was the most handsome, sexy, gorgeous man I had ever seen. He was a good foot taller than I was and had the most incredible copper colored hair. As if his chiseled chin, smooth pale skin, and ruby red lips weren't enough, he had the most intense pair of green eyes. Green eyes that seemed very amused right now. It was in that moment that I realized that I was pressing my body against his and he was leaning against the car behind him. Blushing a furious shade of red, I stepped back.

"I am so sorry," I said, frantically. "I…fuck, I am just so fucking sorry."

"For what?" asked the stranger in front of me. He had a playful smirk on his lips.

"I didn't mean to fall into you," I muttered, feeling like an idiot.

"You didn't," he smiled. "I was just glad I was here to catch you when you fell."

"Me too," I said, returning his smile.

"I guess I'll see you later." The man in front of me shifted from one foot to the other. "At least I hope I do."

"Maybe," I smirked.

The man started laughing and shaking his head as he walked out toward the parking lot. I took a deep breath as I moved to the back of my car, popping the trunk, and grabbing the first of my many boxes. I looked back at the man, who was standing in front of a silver Volvo before I headed into Jones Hall. I stopped by the front desk and grabbed my room key and dorm key before heading up to the third floor. There were a lot of people waiting for the elevators so I headed over to the stairs. It seemed silly to wait.

Once I had reached the third floor, I headed down to my room, 305. The door was open when I stepped in but nobody was inside. One side of the room was filled with boxes that were overflowing with clothes. The bed was already fixed with bedding in rich colors, like burgundy, royal blues, and hunter green. They would make my plain purple bedding look like crap.

I moved over to the plain bed and dropped my boxes onto it. The room wasn't very big, more like a large closest than a dorm room. I had never shared a room with anyone so this was going to be something different. Leaving my stuff on my bed, I headed back down to my car and got another load. This one had most of my books and music in them.

When I got back up to the third floor, I could hear people inside my room, talking. From what I could make out there were at least three of them, two guys and a girl. I turned the corner and stepped into my room. The first thing I noticed was a small, dark haired girl shoving clothes into the arms of a tall, thin guy with wavy blond hair. Her hair was long, hanging halfway down her back and she had bright green eyes. The man hanging the clothes up as fast as he could turned and looked back at me, smiling a lazy smile. His bright blue eyes sparkled as he motioned for the girl to look over at me. Once she did, she smiled and started squeal. I was immediately afraid.

"OH MY GOD!" screamed the girl, tossing the clothes in her hands back onto her bed and bouncing over to me. With a strength that shocked me, she ripped the boxes out of my hands and nearly threw them across the room before wrapping her arms around me. "You must be Bella. I'm Alice Cullen, your new roommate. I can tell that we are going to be the best of friends."

"We are?" I asked, awkwardly hugging her back.

"Yes," she laughed, stepping away. "Sorry, I'm not usually so bubbly and perky but I had two cups of coffee this morning and now I am wired!"

"Oh," I said, dumbly. The other man in the room was leaning against Alice's desk, laughing heartedly at her. He was a large man, really large, with dark curly hair and the same bright green eyes that Alice had.

"Don't mind my little sister," he said, still laughing. "She's virtually harmless."

"I am harmless," scoffed Alice, looping her arm in with mine. "This is my brother, Emmett, and this handsome guy is my fiancé, Jasper Whitlock."

"Fiancé?" I asked.

"Yes, long engagement," she sighed, sadly. For a moment, she looked wistful but a second later she shook her head and turned back to me. "Anyway, I hope you don't mind me taking this side of the room."

"No, it's fine," I murmured. "I should get the rest of my stuff."

"Need any help?" asked Emmett.

"I can get it," I said, shifting from one foot to the other. "Thanks, for the offer though."

"Are you sure?" asked Jasper, southern drawn coming out in full force. "We don't mind."

"Well…" I trailed off thinking about how much I still had. "If you don't mind."

"Of course, we don't," smiled Alice.

I followed Alice, Emmett, and Jasper down the stairs and out to my car. It took the four of us two trips to get the rest of my belongings from my car and up to mine and Alice's room. They were hungry and decided to head down to the cafeteria for lunch. They invited me to come along but I had a meeting with someone in work-study so I told them I would see them later.

I made my way across campus to the administration building and signed the sign up sheet. There where twenty people before me. I had a feeling that this was going to be a long afternoon. I took the last of the empty seats, next to a very large box who was tapping his foot on the floor. I leaned my head back and fought the exhaustion that I was starting to creep up on me from being awake for the last forty-eight hours straight.

After nearly two hours of waiting, I was finally called to come to the back. I followed the woman to her small cubby and took the seat next to her desk. She was tall, curvy woman with long red hair and dark grey eyes. She plopped down in her chair and took a healthy chug of her coffee, grimacing as she put it back down.

"Ugh, cold coffee," she muttered, shaking her head. She took a deep breath as she looked up at me. "Isabella Swan."

"That's me," I said, awkwardly.

"I'm Siobhan. I have gone over your application. Thank you, by the way, for sending it in ahead of time. Makes my job so much easier," she smiled.

"Glad I could help," I said, shifting in my seat. "So do you have a place for me?"

"Yes, I do," she laughed. "After speaking with your old boss back in Washington, I had been able to hold onto a spot in the library for you, if you want it."

"Are you serious?" I asked, smiled.

"Very," she laughed, again. "It's the late shift, four-midnight, but at least it's a position in there. I am going to assume that you want it."

"Yes, please," I smiled. "I figured the odds of me getting on there were…well, next to nothing."

"Freshman usually don't but after reading your application and talking with Dr. Gerandy," she said. I dropped my eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry. I know it hasn't been very long."

"It's fine," I murmured, sniffing back my tears. "Dr. Gerandy was a godsend for me and my father."

"He spoke very highly of you," she said, quietly. I wasn't sure what else to say to her. "Well, take this form to Carmen at the library in the morning and she will get your schedule all sorted out."

"Thank you, Siobhan," I said, sincerely.

"I'm always here, Isabella," she said, patting my hand. "Anytime."

I thanked her again and made my way out of the office. Getting a work-study position in the library was like a dream coming true. I mean, if I had to work and go to school at the same time, which I did, then at least working in the library was the way to do it. I tucked the form into my bag and made my way across campus and back over to the dorms. I could feel the exhaustion taking over and all I wanted was to climb into my bed and drift away into a dreamless sleep.

I made my way up to the third floor and down to mine and Alice's room. The door was once again wide open and I could hear her, Emmett, and Jasper inside. I turned the corner but stopped short. Sitting on Alice's bed was the man with copper hair. The man who had kept me from falling on my ass. He looked up and smiled.

"You," we said at the same time.

**Present Day**

"Goddamn it," snapped the man, moving from in front of the classroom door. The kids were whimpering, crying softly around me and Angela. They were trying not to be loud but they were scared.

"You should let the kids go," I said. He looked over at me, letting his greasy, dirt covered hair flop into his face.

"You should shut the fuck up unless you are going to tell me where my boy is," he growled.

"I don't know who your son is," I repeated for the tenth time. "He wasn't a student of mine."

"Bullshit," he muttered, turning back to the door. "He was here and you had him taken away from me."

I shook my head as I tightened my arms around the kids next to me. We had been sitting on the floor for nearly twenty minutes and all he had done the whole time was rant and rave about me getting his kid taken from him. I had never seen this man or had anyone's kid taken from their parents. The man cursed again, moving away from the door and going over to the windows, peering out through the blinds.

"Mrs. Cullen?" whimpered Samantha, a little dark haired girl with large brown eyes.

"What, Sweetheart?" I whispered, quietly hoping the man wouldn't hear me.

"I want to go home," she whispered, halfway crying. I pulled her into my lap, holding her as tightly as I could.

"Me too," I whispered.

"Will Mr. Edward save us?" asked Toby, a blond body with blue eyes. I looked around at all of my kids. They were watching me, waiting for me to tell them that Edward was going to come save the day. My eyes caught Angela's.

"Yes," I lied, knowing that there was a strong chance he wouldn't be able to save us. "Mr. Edward is on his way."

The kids all looked away and I turned back to the man with the gun. _Please, let Edward save us._


	3. Chapter 3

**EPOV PRESENT DAY**

Jasper pulled the car up at the school and we both climbed out. There were already nearly a dozen squad cars parked around the school and a yellow crime tape being pulled out to try and keep the press and other vultures out. You know the ones that only come in case there was bloodshed. Those people made me sick. Not just because my wife was in there, either, but because their parents were here, trying their hardest not to freak out about their children being held by a mad man with a gun. Goddamn psycho.

"What do we have?" asked Jasper as we walked up to a couple of uniformed police officers.

"Man came in demanding to know where his kid is, had a gun," said one of the officers. "Teacher next door-"

"Edith Marks," I muttered.

"Yeah, Edith Marks heard the kids screaming. She was fixing to go check on them when she heard the gunman order Mrs. Cullen to take the kids to the back of the room. She pulled her cell and called 911," he explained, eyeing me as he mentioned my wife.

"Any idea of who this guy is?" I asked, harshly.

"Not yet," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "No phone in the classroom so we can't communicate with him."

"Will B have her phone?" asked Jasper, looking back at me.

I simply nodded my head, knowing that she kept it in her desk in case of emergencies. Strictly speaking, it was against school rules but she was always afraid that one of her kids would get hurt and she would need it. The school overlooked it, choosing to pick their battles. Jasper nodded his head and turned to the officers.

"I want you to find an empty classroom in the main part of the school and gather all the parents. I want a list of all the kids who are in there. I need to know how many, ages, hair color, and what they are wearing. Understand?" asked Jasper.

"On it," said one of the officers.

"Contact the office and see if we can pictures of everyone," I added.

They nodded before they turned and headed up to the main part of the school. I always hated the way the school was set up. The main building housed grades two through five, along with the computer lab, music room, library, cafeteria, and gym. Behind the main school was where the pre-kindergarten through first grade were located. To me, it was like isolating the big kids from the little kids. Bella loved it, though. She said it made them all feel special and unique. Bella and her kids. She always talked about them, bringing home stories that they told her. It annoyed the fuck out of me but I would give anything to hear one of those stories right now. I looked over the red door that lead into her classroom. My Bella was in there. What if I never saw her again?

**EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"This is the last of Alice's junk," I huffed, placing the last box on her bed.

"It's not junk, Edward," sneered Alice, popping me in the back of the head. I reached over and thumped her on the neck. "OUCH!"

"Don't hit me then," I said, plopping down on her bed. Her roommates bed was covered in boxes and suitcases. She had nearly twice as much stuff as Alice did. "Have you met her yet?" I asked, motioning to the pile.

"Yeah, she came in earlier," smiled Alice, handing an arm full of shoes over to Jasper. "She seems really nice."

"I-"

I started to speak but stopped when the girl from the parking lot rounded the corner and stepped into Alice's room. She was beautiful, not that I didn't already know that but she looked even more beautiful now. Her long, dark hair was hanging loosely around her face. She had dark, piercing eyes and beautiful, pouty lips. I could still remember the way my arms felt, wrapped around her, holding her to me so that she wouldn't fall and hurt herself. I barely remember making the decision to stop her from falling. It was almost like I was being pulled to her. She looked right at me, blushing a deep pink as her smile crept up on her face.

"You," we said at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" we asked. Laughing, we both motioned for the other to go first.

"Ladies first," I smirked.

"I live here," She said, folding her arms in front of her. "Are you stalking me?"

"Not yet," I smiled. "Alice is my sister."

My mystery girl looked over at Alice, who was looking between us. "Is that true?"

"Yes," she smiled. "This is my brother, Edward. Edward, meet my new roommate, Bella Swan."

"It's nice to put a name with the face," I said, laughing quietly. I was vaguely aware that Emmett and Jasper were watching us but my focus was on Bella. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

"You, too," she murmured, blushing. She moved over to her bed and popped open one of her boxes.

"Bella, we were going to go get some ice cream," said Alice, slipping her hand into Jasper's. "Did you want to come?"

"Um, no, thanks," said Bella, looking over her shoulder at Alice. "I've been up for two days straight. I need to unpack and get some sleep."

"Oh, come with us," begged Alice. "I'll help you unpack later."

"Really, Alice, I am barely making it right now," sighed Bella.

"Nothing will perk you up like some frozen sugar," giggled Alice, pulling on her arm.

"Fine," muttered Bella, gently slipping her arm out of Alice's grasp. "I'll go."

Alice started to cheer as she rushed out of the room with Emmett and Jasper following her. I threw Bella a look before following. My sister was demanding but meant well. Bella shut the door behind her and fell into step with me. We headed down to the elevator and rode it down to the lobby. I watched Bella from the corner of my eye. Every once in a while she would shake her head or bring her hand up and run it over her face, clearly in an effort to wake herself up.

The doors opened and we all stepped out. As we walked down to the student center, everyone broke out into small talk about classes, buying books, and the next frat party. Bella, on the other hand, was looking at the ground. She looked up at me and smiled, blushing.

"So where are you from?" I asked. Bella frowned as she spoke.

"A small town in Washington State," she murmured. "How about you?"

"Chicago," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"What year are you?" asked Bella.

"Sophomore," I said, nodding my head like an idiot. "You're a freshman?"

"Yep," she smiled.

"I don't think I can be seen with you," I laughed. She rolled her eyes. "What are you majoring in?"

"Education," She said, proudly.

"You want to teach?" I asked. She nodded her head. "Why?"

"Why not?" she countered.

"I don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Why do you want to be a teacher?"

"My Dad," she whispered, looking away. "When he was little, he had a really difficult time in school. So when I started school, he always sat at the table with me while I did my homework. I was in the second grade when I asked him why he did that. He smiled and placed his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Bella, I sit here with you every night so that you don't have to feel alone.'" Bella paused as she brought her hand up to her face, wiping off a tear. "Sorry."

"Don't be," I murmured, placing my hand on her arm. She stopped and looked up at me. "Are you ok?"

"I'm just really tired," she frowned, looking over to where Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were still walking, totally oblivious to the fact that we had stopped.

"Come on," I said, slipping my hand down into hers.

"Where?" she asked.

"To find some peace and quiet," I smiled.

Bella looked back at my sister, brother, and Jasper before nodding her head. We took off running across campus, ignoring the screams as my sister saw us leaving. She would have to learn to deal with it. Bella was obviously exhausted and needed to get some sleep. Bella and I ran into the dorms, laughing about absolutely nothing.

"Do you want some help clearing everything off your bed?" I asked.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

"I wouldn't have offered if I had minded," I smiled.

"Then I accept your offer," she said, returning my smiled. I followed Bella into her room. She sighed as she let the door close and moved over to all her stop. "I don't know where I am going to put all of this."

"Yeah, these rooms are pretty small," I murmured. "Maybe you should send some of it back home."

Bella tensed up. "I can't do that," she muttered, looking over at me.

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't have a home," she said, looking at the ground. "My father passed away a few months ago and I had to sell his house to help cover his medical expenses and final debts. So I packed up everything I owned and came here."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I murmured, feeling like an idiot. Bella turned back to her stuff, taking a deep breath.

"Don't be, I'm fine," she said. "Just tired, you know."

"Yeah," I said.

Slowly, Bella and I started shifting her boxes around, stuffing as much as we could into her closest. Neither of us talked much and I could tell she was barely hanging on. Finally, I pulled the last box of her books off her bed, sitting them under her desk. Bella sighed as she pulled her bedding out and started making her bed. Unlike my sister, Bella had dark blue sheets and a matching comfortable. Once her bed was made, she sat down and stifled her yawn.

"I had better go," I said. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

"If I don't sleep all day," she laughed. "Thanks again for all your help."

"No problem," I smirked. "If you need rescuing from my sister, I'm up two floor, in room 547."

"I'll remember that," smiled Bella. "Night."

"Night," I snorted, considering it was barely five in the afternoon.

I left Bella in her room and headed up to the room that Jasper and I shared. Emmett had his own room up in the seventh floor. I spent most of the evening trying to get my own stuff unpacked. About an hour later, the door to mine and Jasper's room opened and he and Alice came in; the later in full pissed off mode. I turned and folded my arms in front of her, waiting to hear her rant.

"Edward, how could you desert us like that?" she snapped, pushing on my shoulder. I merely looked at her. "Say something."

"Bella was tired, Alice," I said, shortly. "She'd been up for two days, as she told you. She needed to get some rest."

"But I wanted to get to know her," whined Alice, stomping her foot.

"Al, don't act like a three year old," I sighed. "You and Bella will be sharing that room all year long and you will have plenty of time to get to know her."

"But-"

"No, buts Alice," I said, firmly. "Don't you dare go in there and wake her up, either."

"You sure are protective of her," muttered Alice, eyeing me closely. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my boxes. "You like her."

"Not having this conversation," I said, tightly.

"Don't need to, dear brother," said Alice, smirking. "I can tell."

"Whatever," I muttered, tossing my empty box onto the floor.

"It's ok, Eddie," smiled Alice, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I have a feeling about you and Bella."

I ignored Alice. She and Jasper started unpacking his stuff, being all gooey and sweet together. Even though I have been around them for the better part of the last three years that they have been together, it still made me nauseas at how they were together. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, should use baby talk with their girlfriend.

That night as I climbed into my bed, and settled in under my covers, I thought back to that moment in the parking lot. Pulling Bella close to me, holding her so that she wouldn't get hurt, felt so natural to me. I rolled onto my side, thinking about how beautiful her eyes were. Her beautiful, chocolate brown eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**BPOV EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"Excuse me, Miss, can you help me?"

I looked up, smiling as Edward leaned up against the front counter of the library. He had a huge, cocky smile on his face and his eyes were sparkling. It had been two weeks since I arrived at school and they seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. As the days passed, I found myself missing my home and my father more and more. Every time I found myself starting to drown in my grief, Edward was there. Sometimes, it was just a cup of coffee and other times, it was just a friendly smile or sitting with me while I studied. I felt so comfortable around him, maybe too comfortable.

"What can I do for you, sir?" I asked, smirking as I laid my pencil down.

"You can tell me that you get off soon," said Edward. "I'm bored out of my goddamn mind."

"Three more hours," I sighed, leaning back in my seat. Edward groaned. "Why don't you call your sister and ask her to hang with you?"

"Because she's off with Jasper," muttered Edward. "Today is the anniversary of the first time he looked at her as more than my sister or something equally stupid."

"Come on now, Edward," I laughed. "The day that Jasper first looked at Alice as more than your little sister is like monumental when it comes to anniversaries that you celebrate."

"Mental is right," snorted Edward. He sighed and looked around the dead library. "There is nobody here."

"Nope, I don't guess people don't come in here to study until at least midterms," I sighed, picking up my pencil and looking back down at my math book. "You can always call Emmett."

"He's out with some girl who, as he worded it, was a 'super, hot babe that made him hard as a fucking rock'," chuckled Edward.

"Well, you could always study," I suggested.

"It's Friday," he whined. "Nobody studies on a Friday night." I simply looked at him, seeing as I was in fact studying. "Except for you. You are really smart so you study a lot, right?"

"Doesn't really sound like a compliment," I sighed.

"Yeah, I kind of messed that one up," muttered Edward. "Well, since you are stuck here babysitting the books, I guess I'll just go back to my room and stare at the ceiling."

"Have fun," I smirked.

"Ha, it won't be," he grumbled, pushing away from the counter. "Call me if you get bored of studying."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving him off. "See you later."

"Later, Beautiful," he called back.

As I watched Edward walk out of the elevator, I could feel my face burning from my blush. He was always calling me beautiful, and he knew that it embarrassed me. I just couldn't find it in me to ask him to stop. The way he made me feel when he called me that was worth every bit of embarrassment. He made me feel like he really meant it when he called me beautiful.

"Isabella, darling, are you sure you are going to be ok here all on your own?" asked Carmen Santiago, coming out of her office.

I looked back at the Latin beauty and smiled. When I first met her, I was intimated. She was exotically beautiful and, seeing as she was bitching out Cody Lowry for not unloading the return book cart, I was sure she was going to be a real bitch. However, it turns out that Cody Lowry was just an idiot. Carmen was a sweetheart. She also refused to call me Bella, insisting that Isabella was my true name. The way it rolled off her tongue, accent thick and laced with emotion, was beautiful.

"I'll be fine," I said, reassuring her for at least the tenth time. "Go out and enjoy your evening with your husband."

"Thank you, darling," she smiled. "If you need me, you have my number."

"And I promise to use it if I need you but I will be fine," I said, again.

"You are a good girl, Isabella," murmured Carmen, placing her hand on my shoulder as she passed. "Be safe, darling."

Carmen walked out of the library, leaving me completely alone. Most people would have been scared of being in the library all alone but I wasn't. I had always enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by books. When things got hard during my father's treatments, I often lost myself in books, letting them be my comforter. It was the only way to get through the endless nights I spent up with him, holding him when he was too ill to hold himself up, or the countless nights I spent answering phones for Dr. Gerandy when my father was between treatments.

After a couple more hours in the library, I locked everything up and headed back to the dorms. The air was cool but compared to the cold we had in Washington, it almost felt hot. The campus looked deserted as I made my way across. I walked into the dorms and caught the elevator just before the doors closed. Once I was on the third floor, I headed down the hallway toward mine and Alice's room. As I got there, I noticed the ribbon tied to the doorknob. I didn't have to be a genius to know what that meant. If the ribbon wasn't enough, I heard a loud moan coming from inside the room. Pissed and angry, I turned away from the door. What the fuck was I supposed to do now?

I walked down the hallway to the common room but I didn't really want to stay in there all night. Sighing to myself, I headed over to the elevator and rode it up to the fifth floor. Maybe Edward could get Jasper out of my room so I could actually sleep tonight. I walked down the hallway to his room and knocked on his door, feeling very embarrassed. A moment later, he pulled open the door open, rubbing his eyes.

"Bella?" he asked, groggily. "What are you doing here?"

"Jasper is in my room with your sister," I said, shortly. "Get him out."

Edward snorted. "You don't want me to do that," he said. "Alice gets very…angry when she is interrupted."

"I don't really give a shit," I whined, stomping my foot. "I am tired and I want to go to sleep. I had an early class today and a long night in the library."

"Did you just stomp your foot?" asked Edward, laughing. I scowled and turned around, ready to leave. "Don't leave," he said, quickly, reaching out and grabbing my arm. I looked back over my shoulder at him. "You can sleep here tonight."

"I don't really want to sleep in Jasper's bed," I muttered.

"I wouldn't either," chuckled Edward, pulling me into his room and shutting the door behind him. "You can sleep in my bed."

"Where will you sleep?" I asked, gently slipping my arm out of his.

"In my bed," he smiled. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't bite."

"Pity," I smirked. "Maybe I like biters."

Edward groaned and muttered under his breath about me being a tease. I laughed softly as I took the sweatpants her offered me. Like a true gentleman, he turned away while I slipped my jeans off and pulled on the sweats. I cleared my throat and he turned around, not hiding the fact that he gave me the once over at all. I blushed lightly as he reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me onto his bed after him. He covered us with the blanket and reached up and flipped off his light. Laying his hand on my hip, I could feel my body relax. I scooted a little closer to Edward, closing my eyes and falling into one of the most peaceful nights sleeps, I had ever had.

**PRESENT DAY**

The children were getting restless. We had been sitting on the floor for almost an hour, watching the crazy man with the gun pace back and forth, muttering every four letter word he could think of. Every once in a while he would look over at me, glaring and ask me once again where his son was. I, once again, told him I had no idea who he was or who his son was and that he had me mistaken for someone else. He didn't believe me, though, so here we sat, waiting for Edward and the police to get us out of this mess.

Most of the children had stopped crying but a couple of them were still sniffing back the tears that swam in their little eyes. We should be in the middle of phonics and not sitting back against the wall, watching this crazy motherfucker. I looked over at Angela, who had her hand resting on her belly. She had three little ones cuddled up next to her, holding them as close as she could. She only had a few more days before she was supposed to be taking off for maternity leave. I worried about my friend and the stress of all of this on her baby.

The room was eerily quiet as my cell phone started ringing from the top drawer in my desk. The crazed gunman snapped his head over to me, glaring once again. "Who in the fucking hell is that?" he seethed.

"I don't know," I lied. I lied because the ringtone, At Last by Etta James, was Edward's. It had been our song.

The man tore across my classroom and ripped the drawer out of my desk, sending everything to the floor. He grabbed my cell phone and looked down at it. "Who the fuck is Edward?" He asked, looking up at me.

"A friend," I lied, again.

"A friend?" he asked, snorting. "Why don't I believe you?"

I shrugged my shoulders, refusing to answer him. That had been the wrong move, however, as he crossed the room in only a handful of steps. The kids all started screaming as he reached out, grabbing my by my hair and pulling me away from them. I could Angela screaming with them, telling him to leave me alone and asking the kids to calm down. The man dragged me across the classroom and slamming me against the white board. My head hit hard and I had to stifle the scream that bubbled up to my lips. My kids were scared enough as it was and I didn't want to make it worse. The man pulled his hand from my hair, only to move it down to my throat. He leaned in against me and I gagged at the smell of tobacco and alcohol on his breath.

"You're a little bitch, who needs to learn your place," he hissed, leaning in so that his lips were just outside of my ear. "I know just how to make you learn your place, too."

"Fuck off," I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear me. He tightened his grip on my neck as he pulled me off the white board just an inch or two and slammed me back, slamming my head against it once again.

"Learn some goddamn respect, woman," he growled. He threw me onto the floor before throwing my cell phone at me. "Let's give Edward a call back, shall we? On speakerphone, of course."

Knowing that I really didn't have a choice in the matter, seeing as he was pointing his gun right at me, I flipped my phone open and called Edward. The man cleared his throat and I, reluctantly, turned on the speakerphone.

"Bella, love, are you ok?" asked Edward.

"Love?" asked the man.

"Who the fuck is this?" snapped Edward.

"I'm the man holding your woman's life in my hands," laughed the man, coming over and kneeling down next to me. He reached out and pressed the gun up to my head.


	5. Chapter 5

**EPOV PRESENT DAY**

Ringing. All her phone did when I called her was ring over and over. Frustrated, I closed my cell phone and my eyes. Dread filled me as I thought about why she wasn't answering. Was she hurt? Had this asshole done something to her and the children? Bella's kids were a huge part of her life. She would do anything to protect them, including giving her own life. Snapping my eyes open, I turned and looked at the officers standing behind me. Standing there doing nothing but twittling their thumbs like the dumb-ass rookies they were.

"Hey, make yourselves useful and go see if you can find out who this motherfucker is," I snapped, causing both of them to scurry away.

From next to me, I saw Jasper roll his eyes but he wouldn't say anything. If it were Alice on the other side of that door, he would be acting just like I am. Of course, he wouldn't have been such an enormous ass to Alice like I had been to Bella. No, I had screwed up royally and I was terrified I wasn't going to get the chance to tell her that I was sorry. I would regret those hateful words I said to her this morning everyday for the rest of my life.

I was startled when my cell phone rang, vibrating in my hand. Flipping it open in a hurry, I brought it up to my ear. "Bella, love, are you ok?" I asked, causing Jasper to look right at me.

"Love?" asked the man inside the room. My heart stopped.

"Who the fuck is this?" I snapped.

"I'm the man holding your woman's life in my hands," laughed the man.

"NO!" screamed Bella and I gripped the phone tighter, partly relieved that she was ok and still scared to death that I was going to lose her.

"SHUT UP, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" roared the man. Through the phone, I could hear the sound of him slapping her.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her," I growled, lunging for the door but Jasper threw his arms around me and pulled me back.

"I don't think you are in any position to tell me what to do, Edward," sneered the man. "Now, I want my son here and I want him here now."

"Tell me who you are," I muttered, grimily.

"Tsk, tsk, Edward," he snickered, clicking his tongue at me. "Your woman here knows exactly who I am, don't you, Mrs. Gribble?"

"My name is not Mrs. Gribble," cried Bella and my heart broke again.

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!" bellowed the man and I once again heard him hit her. "Edward, get my son here soon or I am going to start getting very impatient."

The phone clicked in my ear and my knees buckled under me. Jasper dropped to the ground with me, holding me as I sat there and stared at the room where a madman was holding the woman I loved, the only woman I had ever loved, at gun point and all I could do right now was sit here and wait.

"Edward." I turned and saw my sister standing behind me. She opened her arms and I stood up, moving over and hugging her. "It's going to be ok, Edward," whispered Alice. "Bella's strong."

"I know," I murmured. "Ali, I can't…"

"I know," whispered Alice, rubbing my back.

**EIGHT YEARS AGO**

I was sleeping soundly when I felt something, or rather someone, moving next to me. It took me a moment to remember that Bella had come up to my room last night after finding Jasper in her and Alice's room. That was my sister for you, though. She never considered that maybe Bella might want to sleep in her own bed after working in the library for half the night. Of course, that was something else that Alice never really understood. Alice never had to work for anything. Neither had me or Emmett for that matter. Our parents provided for everything we could ever want and a lot of shit that we didn't need.

"What time is it?" murmured Bella, rolling from her side onto her back, letting her arm flop up above her head. She was so beautiful and I wanted to lean down and kiss her but I didn't. I couldn't, not when I wasn't sure she wanted me to. I had a crush on Bella Swan.

"Just after eight," I said, quietly. Bella's eyes fluttered open and she looked at me, cheeks turning the softest shade of pink. "Morning."

"Morning," she murmured, breathlessly.

"Did you sleep ok?" I asked. "I tried not to kick too much."

"I slept great," she smiled. "Best nights sleep I've had in a long time, actually."

"Good," I sighed. "We should go to the beach today."

"I can't," she said, frowning. "I've got to study."

"Bella," I whined, knowing I sounded like a baby. "You studied last night and the night before. In fact, all you've done over the last two weeks is study."

"I have to," she muttered, blushing even more. "If I don't keep my grade up, I lose my scholarship and my work-study position. I can't do that, Edward."

"One day is not going to cause you to lose either of those," I murmured, bringing my hand up to her cheek. Bella's eyes closed as she leaned into my hand. "Please, go to the beach with me?"

"Ok," she breathed.

As Bella's eyes opened, I found myself leaning down, preparing to kiss her. Just before I could, though, the door to my room was thrown open. Bella and I both snapped our eyes over and saw Jasper standing in the doorway, looking rather shocked that Bella was in my bed. Before he could say anything, however, Bella scrambled out of my bed, grabbing her jeans, and rushed past him. He stood there, staring at her with his mouth wide open.

"Dude, shut the fucking door," I grumbled, sitting up on the side of the bed.

"You and Bella?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

"No, she came down here after her shift in the library because you and my evil sister were too busy fucking your merry brains out to think that she might want to sleep in her own bed last night," I said, glaring at him.

Jasper shrugged his shoulders, unapologetically. "She could have slept in my bed."

"Like I would let her do that," I muttered, standing up. "Who the fuck knows the last time you washed your sheets."

"Good point," he snickered.

Resisting the urge to beat him to a bloody pulp, I grabbed my towel and shower bag and headed down to the bathroom. Since it was early for most college kids, most of them had only been home for a few hours from whatever frat party they got drunk at, the bathroom was empty. I took a quick shower, barely letting the water turn warm before I climbed in. With the tent that had built up in my boxers, I needed the cooler water, anyway.

After I was done showering, I headed back down to mine and Jasper's room, finding him laying on his bed, fast asleep. I cringed at the thought of what had made him so tired. I accepted the fact that he had sex with my little sister, I just didn't need to think about it. Resisting the urge to snap him with my towel, I got ready for a day at the beach with Bella.

I felt like a little kid who was just told they were going to Disneyland for the first time as I got dressed, pulling on my blue and white swim trunks and white t-shirt. Packing a towel, some sunscreen, and my iPod, I left Jasper sleeping and headed down to Bella's room. Before I could knock on the door, however, it was thrown open and she came barreling out, running into me and causing me to stumble back. I started to laugh until I saw the tears building in her eyes. Something was wrong.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she sniffed, wiping the tears off before they could fall. I looked over the top of her head and saw Alice, standing in the middle of their room, frown on her face. "I'm hungry."

"Ok," I said, slowly. Alice turned away, bringing her hands up to her face. "Let's go grab some breakfast before we go to the beach."

Bella simply nodded her head and let me lead her down the hallway toward the elevator. I heard the door to their room shut behind me but didn't look back. I wasn't sure what had happened between them but I knew Bella well enough to know that if she wanted me to know, she would tell me when she was ready. She was a very private person and didn't share a lot about herself with anyone.

I slipped my arm around her waist as we stepped off the elevator and walked through the lobby of our dorm. Bella didn't seem to mind as she scooted closer to me, letting my hand slid around her even more. As Bella and I made our way into the dining hall, she seemed to relax a little at a time. We grabbed some breakfast and headed over to a table in the back. Bella nibbled on her cereal, not really eating as she looked out the window.

"Tell me what you are thinking," I said. Bella smiled as she looked over at me, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I was thinking about how different everything is here," she murmured. "Back home… I mean, back in Washington, the sun doesn't really come out much. Never thought about how much I liked the sun, until I came here."

"Why did you come all the way to California for school?" I asked. Bella frowned as she looked down at the table. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't," she muttered. "I had planned on staying in Washington and going to school at UW but after my dad got sick…Well, he didn't want me to stay just because of him and…he made me promise that if I got in here, that I would come," she explained.

"How long was he sick?" I asked, quietly.

"Three years," she said, softly. "They found the first tumor the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. They told him that he would be lucky to be alive six months later," she whispered, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Guess he showed them."

"He must of have been incredibly strong," I murmured. Bella nodded her head as she looked outside. "Where is your mom?"

Bella looked over at me. "I have no idea," she said. "She left us before I even knew her."

"Oh," I muttered, dumbly. "Sorry."

"You apologize a lot," smiled Bella. "Don't feel sorry for me, Edward. I don't need your pity."

"You don't have it," I said, quickly. She cocked an eyebrow at me. "I mean, I don't pity you, Bella. I just…What did Alice say to upset you?"

"Nothing," she murmured, quickly. I leaned back in my chair and just stared at her. After a moment, she rolled her eyes and copied me. "It was really nothing."

"Tell me anyway," I pressed.

"I might have bitched at her for bringing Jasper to our room," muttered Bella, dropping her eyes. "When she asked where I went, I told her that I went to your room. She started…."

"What?" I asked. Bella sighed as she looked up at me.

"She started teasing me about you," she mumbled. "About me sleeping in your bed."

"Oh," I said. "Did you not like it?" I asked, quietly.

"I liked it," she murmured, blushing bright red. "A lot. It's just…She started teasing me about calling my dad…I haven't told her about him, yet, and I guess…I don't know, I guess, I just…I miss him so much," she whispered.

I reached over and grabbed her hand. "I'm sure he misses you, too."

"You think so?" she asked, sniffing back her tears.

"I do," I smiled. "I know I would miss you if you weren't here." Bella pulled on her bottom lip as she smiled and blushed again. "Are you done?"

Bella nodded her head so I gathered up our trash and tossed it on our way out of the dining hall. She slipped her hand into mine as we walked back across campus toward the dorm parking lot. I smiled to myself as I held her hand, feeling like a silly little fifth grade boy, crushing on my first girl.

As we drove to the beach, Bella sat in the passenger seat, knees pulled up and looking out the window. She was wearing a pair of black cotton shorts and a black and white t-shirt. Her long legs looked amazing and I had to stop myself several times from reaching over and touching them. I parked my car in the parking lot and we climbed out. We made our way down the beach, searching for the perfect spot.

We finally found a somewhat secluded spot and settled down on our towels. Bella sighed as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the warm sun, beating down on her. I rolled onto my side and watched her. She was so beautiful, more beautiful than any girl I had ever seen. I'd had a few girlfriends back Chicago but none that meant anything at all. Bella was different.

"I can feel you staring at me," she laughed, opening her eyes and looking over at me. I couldn't say anything. All I could do was smile. "What are you thinking?"

"I think you are beautiful," I murmured. Bella smiled and blushed. I loved her blush.

"You do?" she asked.

Once again, I seemed to have lost my voice. Instead of replying to her, I nodded my head as I leaned over and pressed my lips down onto hers, feeling her lips against mine for the first time.


	6. Chapter 6

**BPOV EIGHT YEARS AGO**

Edward Cullen was kissing me. Edward was kissing me and all I was doing was laying there, not moving, not kissing him back. What the fuck was wrong with me? Before I could respond to his kiss, or the little voice inside of my head, Edward pulled his lips off of mine and sat up, leaving me laying there with my eyes wide open. I was truly stupid.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry, Bella," mumbled Edward, before I could speak. I sat up next to him. "I know that you don't feel the same way. I'm such a fucking idiot."

"Edward-"

"No, Bella, don't try to make me feel better," he grumbled, standing up. "I suck big time, I know this."

"Edward, shut up," I said, scrambling to my feet. He sighed and looked back at me. "You don't suck and you aren't an idiot. I liked it," I murmured, feeling my cheeks heat up. "A lot. I was just surprised."

"You don't have to say that," he whispered, looking at the ground.

"I know I don't," I smiled, reaching up and stroking his cheek. Edward leaned into my hand, facing me. "I mean it, though. I really liked it. You kissing me, I mean."

"Me too," he said, quietly.

Edward slipped his arms around me, pulling me flush up against his chest. Bringing his hand up to my cheek, he slowly leaned down and kissed me again. This time, instead of standing around like an idiot, I kissed him back. We dropped back down onto our towels, holding onto each other as our lips moves slowly, sensually against each other's. Our kiss was slow, soft, relaxed. Just a man and a woman lost in the moment.

Edward pulled his lips away, pressing his forehead against mine and smiling. My cheeks burned under his gaze and my breathing picked up. I'm sure I looked ridiculous but this was the effect that Edward had on me. I was vaguely aware of the fact that people were around us, and that they might even be watching us as we laid on the beach, lost in our moment, but I was finding it increasingly hard to care. There was something about Edward Cullen that always made me feel special, unique, worthy.

"Tell me what you are thinking," he murmured, shifting so that he was laying next to me, one arm draped across my stomach.

"Um," I said, blushing even more.

"You're blushing," he teased, stroking my heated cheeks.

"I can't help it," I muttered, clearly embarrassed. "My dad used to do everything he could to make me blush. He got some kind of twisted pleasure out of it."

"It's because you are beautiful when you blush," Edward whispered, causing my blush to deepen. "Of course, everything about you is beautiful."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," I sighed, turning my head.

"No, I don't," said Edward, sincerely. I looked back over at him. "I've never told a woman that she was beautiful, Bella. Not until you."

My face was on fire. "I don't know what to say to that," I breathed, feeling very vulnerable. It wasn't a feeling I was used to feeling and I wasn't sure I liked it.

"You don't have to say anything," he said, smiling.

I rolled closer to Edward, resting my head on his bicep and closed my eyes. The air was warm but not blistering hot. There was a soft breeze coming off the water, keeping the heat from scorching us. As I laid in Edward's arms, he started running his fingers along my arm; Goose bumps erupted.

"What was your favorite subject in high school?" asked Edward, after several minutes of silence.

"History," I murmured.

"Why?"

I leaned up on my elbow, still facing him. "I don't know," I said, softly. "My dad liked history. When he wasn't watching some kind of sports show, he had the history channel on. I used to sit with him and we would watch shows about world war one or the great wall of China. I guess, I learned to love it, too."

"You smile when you talk about your dad," whispered Edward, rubbing circles on my side. "You talk about him like he was your best friend."

"He was," I murmured, quietly, sitting up. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "You might not have noticed, Edward, but I'm kind of shy."

"I noticed," he said, sitting up next to me.

"I had friends, but nobody that I was just really close with," I explained. "I was nearly ten before I spent the night at anyone else's house. Even then, I called my dad at two in the morning, begging him to come pick me up." I paused as I looked out over the water. " I was fifteen when he got sick and, suddenly, I found myself having to be the one who made dinner every night, who did the laundry, and went to the grocery store. My dad tried as hard as he could to help but the chemo made him so tired, so sick." I could feel the tears, pricking at the side of my eyes. Edward slipped his arm around my waist, pulling my into him. "Sorry, it's still to talk about."

"Don't ever be sorry for talking about your dad, Bella," murmured Edward, leaning down and pressing his lips to the side of my head. Edward stood up and offered me a hand. "Let's go for a walk."

"Ok," I said, softly as I placed my hand into his.

Edward pulled me to my feet but didn't let go of my hand. As we walked down to the edge of the water, I thought about how things had changed today. When we arrived at the beach, I wasn't sure what my feelings were for Edward. I knew I liked him, as more than a friend, but this was different for me. Edward made me forget that I left my home, the only home I had ever known behind me, and moved on with my life. Edward made me forget that my family was gone, that there was nobody waiting for me to come home for Christmas. Edward made me smile. I hadn't smiled in three years.

"Was it hard for you to leave Chicago?" I asked, looking up at Edward.

"Not really," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Em was already here and I knew Ali would be soon."

"What about your parents?" I asked.

"They are still in Chicago." Edward waded out into the water, letting it splash up his legs. He turned and offered me his hand again, beckoning me to follow. I pulled on my bottom lip as I shook my head. "Come on, it's warm."

"I don't believe you," I giggled, stepping away from him.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked, innocently.

"Not right now," I teased as I turned and took off running.

Edward growled and started chasing after me. I squealed, or maybe screamed, as he caught me about two seconds later. Edward swept me into his arms and took off toward the water. I tightened my arms around him as he splashed through, jumping in and soaking us both. As we broke through the surface, Edward looked down at me, panting. Without hesitation, I leaned up, pressing my lips down onto his.

Water dripped off of us as we stood in the ocean, kissing like it was the first time our lips had touched each others. I wrapped my legs around Edward's waist, moaning as his hands slid down to my ass, cupping my cheeks in his large, nimble hands. Edward's arousal was growing harder and pressing into the thin shorts I was wearing and he felt good there.

I gasped as I tore my lips from his, only to have him move his down my neck to my collarbone. My head was spinning, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I was sure he could hear it. I slid my hands up, gripping his hair tightly in my hands and pulled his head back, crushing my lips down onto his again. Edward moaned, tightening his grip on my ass as he shifted his hips up into me, causing the most delicious friction. Before I realized it, Edward had walked us to the base of the shoreline, and had laid me in the sand, pressing himself into me. My body had never felt so alive or on fire.

Edward gripped my leg, pulling it over his hip as he ground himself into me. We were moving too fast but I couldn't seem to tell my lips to stop kissing him, or my hands to stop touching him. Edward tore his lips off of mine, dropping them to the side of my neck, sucking and licking on every inch of bare skin he could find. I was gasping for air, trying to keep my composure but failing immensely. Edward was driving me insane with his hands and lips.

"Oh, fuck, Baby," he groaned, shifting his hips into me over and over.

There was no hiding the fact that he was hard. Like really hard. So hard that I was almost concerned that he was hurting he was so hard but with the feelings bubbling up inside of me, I didn't tell him. There was no way in hell that I was going to tell him to stop, not when it felt so good. There was a tightening inside of me that I had never felt before. My hands were still buried in Edward's hair, like he was the only thing keeping me grounded. He was.

"E..Edward," I cried out, arching into him as the feeling exploded, sending me over the edge.

"Baby," he grunted, stilling his hips against me as his entire body shivered. His lips were still pressed against the side of my neck. He started chuckling as he pulled back and looked down at me. "I know that I should be sorry for just doing that but, fuck, that felt really good."

I blushed. "For me, too," I murmured, smiling.

Edward rolled over and laid on the sand next to me. We laid there for several minutes, letting the water wash over us. While neither of us were talking, it wasn't weird or awkward. It was peaceful, serene, and just right. Edward reached over, taking my hand in his.

After a few minutes, though, Edward and I made our way back over to our stuff, having had enough time at the beach for one day. The ride back to school was spent with us singing to the radio, laughing together. Just enjoying having each other right now. I smiled to myself, ready for wherever this journey might take us.

**PRESENT DAY**

"SHUT UP!" roared the man, snapping my cell phone closed and pocketing it as he glared at the kids.

They had started screaming the moment he hit me the first time. Each time he did after that, they just got louder and louder. They were terrified and, right now, I couldn't do anything to stop them. I was just as scared. The man grabbed me by the hair, slamming me back against the wall under the white board, cracking my head. I stifled the latest scream that threatened to leave my mouth but it was getting harder. Pain radiated through my head.

"Tell them to shut the fuck up," he hissed, pressing the gun to the side of my head.

"St…stop," I choked out. Of course, all my students and Angela saw this man with his gun to my head and they weren't going to listen to me, or him. "Ch..child…children, stop…sc…screaming," I cried.

They didn't. The man muttered under his breath as he stood up, dragging me up by my hair. He pinned me against the white board, pressing the gun up to my head again and cocking the hammer back. "Shut the fuck up, or I will kill her," he snarled.

The kids stopped screaming but were unable to stop the whimpers and occasional cry from slipping out between their lips. The man, whose nostrils flared, pulled the gun off my head and threw me to the floor, roughly. I managed to break my fall and stopped myself from face planting on the ivory floor. Son of bitch was crazy and that alone, scared the shit out of me.

"I'll give you this, woman," he laughed, waving his gun around. "That man on the phone seemed to be pretty damn upset about you being locked in here with me."

"Gee, I wonder why," I muttered, sitting up and leaning against the wall. In an instant, the man was next to me, grabbing my face.

"You have a smart mouth," he growled. "Now, I'm trying real hard to keep my temper but you are asking for it, woman."

"I'm not asking for anything," I snapped, pulling my face out of his hand. "None of us in this room have asked for you to do this to us."

"You asked for it the moment you took my boy from me," he muttered, standing up.

"I didn't take your son," I said, again. "You have me mistaken for someone else."

"Are you calling me stupid?" he roared, rearing back and kicking me in the side.

"AAAAHHHH!" I screamed, falling onto my side.

"I AM NOT STUPID, MRS. GRIBBLE!" he yelled, kicking my in the leg.

"Her name isn't Mrs. Gribble," screamed Avery, a little blond hair girl with bright blue eyes. The man snapped his head over to her. Angela pulled on her arm, trying to get her to be quiet and sit down but Avery wasn't having it. "Her name is Mrs. Cullen."

The man looked down at me, running his hand through his hair. "Is that true?" he asked. The pain in my chest was too intense to try to speak so I just nodded. "Well, for your sake, I hope that man of yours can find my boy."

_Me too, _I thought_, me too_


	7. Chapter 7

**EPOV PRESENT DAY**

I couldn't seem to be still. I paced around the playground, trying to stop myself from running over and throwing open the door to Bella's classroom and killing that son of a bitch with my bare hands. Fuck, it was really hard to stop myself from going over there but I knew that if I did, I would lose Bella. This motherfucker had made it clear that he was willing to hurt her and that alone stopped me from rushing in there.

"Edward," hollered Jasper.

I snapped my head over to him. He was standing next to a woman with short dark brown hair and matching eyes. As I made my way over, I noticed that she wasn't much taller than Alice, who was standing behind her husband, sipping nervously on a cup of coffee. The woman next to Jasper seemed anxious and nervous as I walked up to them. I shifted my eyes from her to my partner.

"Edward, this is Medina Gribble."

I inhaled so sharply as I snapped my eyes back over to her that I almost choked. She had a look of guilt on her face. "You're Mrs. Gribble?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, sadly.

I nodded my head as I looked over at the door leading into my wife's classroom and tried to comprehend that the woman who should have been in there, was standing in front of me. How in the hell did this man get Bella confused for this woman? They looked nothing alike. Running my hands through my hair, I turned back and looked at her.

"You work here?" I asked.

"No, I teach kindergarten over at Willow Elementary," she said, quietly. "I don't know why he thought I worked here."

"Who is this man?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of me. Jasper, and everyone else, was standing around us watching, knowing that I needed to be the one who asked the questions.

"His name is Phil Dwyer," she explained. "His son, Evan, was in my class until about a month ago when Child Protective Services took him away from his father."

"Why?" I asked.

"Evan came to school one day with bruises on the tops of his arms, handprints. When I asked Evan about them, he told me that he had fallen and his father had grabbed his arms and pulled him back up. Evan was always falling around here so I bought it," she said. "About a week later, he came to school limping. When I asked him what happened this time, he said he tripped down some stairs. Red flag for me. I've been a teacher for nearly twenty years, Detective, and I've seen my fair share of abused kids. He was one of them."

"Ok, so what did you do next?" I asked.

"I talked to our principal at lunch and called CPS in," she said, shaking her head. "We had Evan come down to the nurses office so they could look at his leg. When he pulled his pant leg up, he had a huge cut, at least six inches long, on his calf, along with more than a dozen bruises. He refused to speak to us when we asked him what had happened." Mrs. Gribble hesitated. "Detective Cullen, he had older scars on his leg. It wasn't the first cut he had received."

"Where was his mother?" I asked.

"I don't know," Mrs. Gribble replied. "Evan was new to our school this year. He said they moved from Arizona but I never saw her at the school, or come to any of our activities."

"Ok," I nodded, looking over at Jasper.

"We're on it," he murmured, knowing what I was going to ask.

"So CPS removed the boy from his father's care. Do you know where they took him?" I asked.

"No, all I know is that they placed him with a family that lived out of our district and they transferred him out." She shook her head. "I wish I had more to offer you."

"You've given us a lot," I sighed. "Thank you for coming down."

"Detective Cullen, this man is dangerous," she said. "I mean, he's crude and crass. I'd asked him several times to watch his language at the school and he would just nod his head. He would manhandle Evan, dragging him around by his arm."

"I know," I said, thinking about the conversation I had had with him. "Trust me, I know."

"Mrs. Gribble, if you can go with this officer, we would like to get as much information on Evan and Phil Dwyer as we can," said Jasper, gesturing to one of the officers behind him.

"Of course," murmured Mrs. Gribble.

She followed the officer up into the school and I turned back to the door. Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder, silently offering me what little comfort he could. This wasn't the first hostage situation he and I had handled together, but this was the first with someone we knew and a classroom full of five years old. Jasper and I both knew just how easily a situation like this could turn ugly.

"Edward," said Alice. I turned and looked at her but she wasn't looking at me. I followed her gaze and felt my blood boiling in my veins.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I yelled.

**EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"Eddie, boy, let's go," bellowed Emmett, clapping me on the shoulder. Of course, I had just taken a drink of water and nearly choked on it. "You're ok, Man, just walk it off."

"Fuck, Em," I gasped, wiping the water off my chin. "Don't fucking hit me when I'm taking a drink."

"Ok," he said, mockingly.

I ignored him as we walked out of the gym, heading back out to his jeep. We had spent the last few hours at the gym, pumping weights and talking about our women. That's right, I said our women. Emmett had been going on and on about Rosalie Hale, his girlfriend. He had been going on non-stop about her since their first date, the night that Bella first stayed in my room with me. It wasn't our last sleepover, either.

Ever since our day at the beach, Bella and I had been inseparatable , with the exception of when we went to the bathroom and our classes. I had even gotten to where I hung out in the library with her when she was working. Of course, she made me study which was hard to do with her sashaying around the library, climbing on ladders and teasing me with her body. Gave me a motherfucking hard-on every time.

"Dude, you coming?" asked Emmett, slapping my shoulder. It was then that I realized he was parked out in front of the dorms.

"Yeah," I muttered, feeling like an idiot as Emmett laughed at me.

"You've got it pretty fucking bad, don't you?" he asked.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, offhandedly as we headed inside.

"Whatever, dude," he snorted. "You can pretend all you want but I know that you are loving all over Bella."

"Em," I muttered, feeling my ears turn pink.

"Oh, look, she even has you blushing like she does," he teased. I once again rolled my eyes at him. "Edward, I give you shit but I think it's pretty fucking cool."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Bella's cool. She's smart and funny, when she's not studying. She's not the type of girls you normally date."

"No, she's not," I agreed, thinking about the handful of girls I had gone out with. None of them lasted more than a few dates, though. There just wasn't a spark. "I really like her."

"Good, just don't fuck it up," he laughed, pushing me out of the elevator when the doors opened on my floor.

I cursed him as the doors closed, carrying him up to the seventh floor. Making my way down the hallway, I unlocked my dorm room door and froze. Jasper was standing in the middle of our room, dressed up like Peter fucking Pan, green tights and all. I fell to my knees as I started laughing hysterically. I mean, Peter fucking Pan!

"Oh Fuck," he muttered, pulling the blanket off his bed and trying to cover up.

"Dude," I laughed, barely able to speak. "I mean…dude!"

"Shut the fuck up," he spat, angrily. "Alice is fucking making me where it."

"Whatever, dude," I chuckled as I stood up. "Just make sure your nuts are covered, I really don't need to see them poking out of your tights."

"Fuck you, Edward," he muttered, dropping the blanket and pulling his tunic down. "The things I do for her."

I laughed even harder as I grabbed my towel and shower stuff, leaving him alone and heading down to the bathrooms. It was funny to see all the shit that my sister could get him to do for her. All Alice had to do was bat her lashes at him and he would melt into her and agree to anything. Of course, while I would never tell Jasper this, I would do the same for Bella. She had me eating out of the palm of her hand.

I quickly showered and headed back down to my room. Jasper was gone, off to find his pixie fairy, I'm sure. I pulled on a clean pair of boxers and pulled my own Halloween costume out of the closet. Tonight, we were all heading over to a party at the Kappa Sigma house. I wasn't sure how Bella and I got talked into joining Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie, but we had. Neither Bella nor I wanted to go but Alice, being Alice, used guilt to make us go. She went on and on about this being her first Halloween at school and that we needed to make it special for not only her but for Bella, too. It was easier to just give in.

I pulled on the black pin-stripped suit that I had gotten for tonight. If I was going to do this, I was going to do this in style. Bella and I agree to don the style of a twenty's gangster and his flapper girlfriend. I was going to be wearing a black suit, and she was going to wear a little flappers dress. I couldn't wait to see her in it. She was going to look smoking hot.

Since Bella had worked it out with Carmen to work the day shift so she could come to the party, I was going to pick her up there. So once I was ready, I grabbed my keys and rushed down the hallway and down to the elevator. Bella had opened up a little more to me about her dad and how hard it was to watch him struggle against the cancer that ultimately took his life. Sometimes, she would tell me a story from when she was little and other times she would trail off as she got lost in a memory. I never pushed her for more, knowing that she was struggling just to make it through the day most of the time. I also never told Emmett, Alice, or Jasper about her dad. For some reason, Bella was keeping him to herself. She had entrusted me with him and I didn't want to betray her. I cared too much about her.

When I walked into the library, I expected to find Bella behind the desk, studying or typing away on her laptop but she wasn't there. I looked around for a few minutes, but I couldn't find her. I had just come back up to the front of the library when Bella came out of one of the private rooms. My heart stopped in my chest the moment my eyes fell onto her. She looked fucking hot.

She was wearing a short, very short, hot pink flappers dress with black fridge hanging down and barely covering her tight ass. Her long, slender legs were covered by black fishnet stockings and she had a pair of black high heels on. She had pulled her hair up and twisted it up, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. She looked up at me and smiled. My cock was rock hard, throbbing and begging to come out and play.

"Hey, you're early," she said, smiling as she crossed the library. I opened my mouth several times to speak but I couldn't seem to get anything out. Bella placed her hands on my shoulders and leaned up, pressing her lips against mine. "Are you ok?" she asked, leaning back.

"You look fucking hot," I murmured, pulling her flush against me. She gasped as she smiled. No doubt that she could feel my cock against her. She had to know what she did to me.

"Oh," she whispered, leaning into me. "Thank you. You look amazing."

"No, you don't understand," I moaned, bringing my lips down to hers. "You look so fucking hot."

"Oh, I understand perfectly," she smirked. "I can feel how hot you think I am," she murmured, pressing herself against me again. I moaned, not wanting her to stop but knowing that we couldn't do anything here. "Hmm, I need a few more minutes, and then we can go."

"Hurry," I growled, swatting her ass as she walked away from me.

Bella squeaked. It was the most adorable sound I had ever heard. I tried to be discrete as I adjusted myself but based on the laughter that came from her direction, I didn't do a very good job. A few minutes later, Bella was finally done and we were on our way to the party. I took her hand in mine. The closer we got to the frat house, the tighter her grip became on my hand. I knew this was going to be a new experience for her. She had to grow up too fast because she had to take care of her father.

"You ok?" I asked, as we walked up to the front of the house. The music was already blasting through the open windows and we could hear everyone already inside.

"Yeah," she said, smiling.

I leaned down and kissed her before leading her inside the house. I hadn't been to more than a couple of these myself and I never really liked them. Most of the guys were pricks who tried too hard to get the girls and usually just ended up plowing them with alcohol and the girls let them. Emmett dragged me to a couple last year in his quest to, as he called it, turn me less emo. It didn't work.

"Bella!" squealed Alice, bouncing across the room and nearly tackling Bella to the ground. "You look fantastic."

"Thanks," she muttered, blushing. "You do, too."

Alice smiled as she spun around showing off Tinkerbelle costume. Jasper was behind her, glaring at the floor. Clearly he still wasn't happy about dressing up like Peter Pan. "Aw, thank you," she squealed again, turning and looking at Jasper. "Doesn't Jas look hot!"

"Oh, yeah," agreed Bella, smiling. "Nobody pulls off green tights like he does."

I burst out laughing as Jasper's face turned bright red. Bella turned in my arms and started laughing, unable to control it. Alice sighed and walked back over to Jasper, trying to re-confirm his status as a man by sucking his face off. Just then, I felt a large, meaty hand fall onto my shoulder.

"Ali, get a room. Eddie and I don't want to see you fucking him," boomed Emmett.

"Don't call me Eddie," I hissed as Alice turned and flipped him off.

"No respect," laughed Emmett. Bella tucked herself against me as we turned and looked at my older brother. There was a girl standing next to him, nervously shifting her eyes between us all. She was beautiful, long legs and blond hair. Just the type of girl that Emmett would be with. He was smiling as he let go of her hand and slipped his arm around her waist. "Guys, this is Rose. Rose, baby, this is everyone."

"Nice to finally meet you all," she said, smiling. "Em's told me so much about all of you."

"Ignore everything he said, he lies," giggled Alice. "I'm Alice, and this is my fiancé, Jasper."

"Yes, Em described you as being perky and Jasper as being Mr. Mellow," smirked Rose. "I can tell he wasn't too far off." Rose turned to me and Bella next. "You must be Edward, or Emo-boy as your brother said, and Bella, the quiet one."

"Yeah," I said, dryly looking over at my brother. "I'm going to fucking kill you."

"Whatever," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I need a drink."

"Me too," laughed Rose.

She and Emmett scurried off toward the bar, leaving us standing there. Alice and Jasper headed out to the dance floor while I looked down at Bella, who was very red in the face.

"You know, I know that I shouldn't like her," started Bella. "She seems kind of like a bitch, but I do. She's like the female version of Emmett."

"Yeah, I know," I laughed. "Kind of scary, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah!" she giggled.

"Let's dance," I murmured.

"Ok," she smiled.

I slipped my hand into Bella's as we made our way out to the dance floor. It was pretty crowded but I didn't mind. It just meant that I would have to hold her as tight as I could against me. That was not going to be a problem, not by a long-shot. As we found our spot, the music changed to something slower, At Last by Etta James. I lifted our joined hands as Bella ran her hand up my other arm, to my shoulder. I slipped my arm around her waist, pulling her flush against my body.

Bella kept her eyes on mine as we started moving our hips to the music, letting our body move together. I was vaguely aware of the fact that there were people around us, but only vaguely. Bella captured my attention, as well as every other part of my body, whether it be physical or emotional. Her cheeks were flushed, painted a soft pink, which didn't help my throbbing erection at all. She turned her head, taking a deep, shaky breath. Was it possible that she was just as affected by me as I was by her?

"Edward," came a voice behind me.

I turned instinctively and regretted it immediately. Standing behind me, with her hands on her hips, was Jessica Stanley. She had practically stalked me last year after I danced with her one time. She somehow got it into her head that little moment we shared meant something.

"Jessica," I said, dryly.

"Is that anyway to greet me?" smirked Jessica, stepping up and grabbing my shoulder.

Before I knew what was happening, she had me facing her and her lips were on mine. I gagged, bringing my hands up to her shoulders and pushing her off of me. It wasn't easy, seeing as Jessica had gained the freshman fifteen and the sophomore twenty, from the looks of it.

"Goddamn it, Jessica," I spat, wiping my mouth. I turned to explain to Bella but she was gone. Fuck," I muttered, taking a step away from Jessica. She grabbed my jacket, ripping the sleeve at the seam. I didn't care but I turned and pulled my arm out of her grip. "Fucking leave me alone."

"But, Edward, what about what we had?" she whined.

"We," I said, gesturing between us, "don't have anything. We never have, and we fucking never will."

Jessica's face fell as I turned and walked away from her, leaving here there with her delusions about us. I looked all over the house, but Bella wasn't here anymore. I went to ask Emmett if he had seen Bella, but he was too busy, making out with Rose in the corner and based on where her hand was, I was pretty sure they were too busy to hear a goddamn word I said, anyway. I couldn't find Jasper or Alice, which led to a whole new set of mental images that I tried to push out of my head, and I left.

I made my way back across campus to the dorms, hoping that Bella would have come back there. I stopped on the third floor and walked down to the hallway to Bella and Alice's room. However, from the moans and grunting coming from through the door, I knew Bella wasn't in there. Especially when I heard my sister cry out Jasper's name. That was a sound that I was never going to get out of my head.

Even though I knew she wasn't going to be there, I checked my room next. Of course, she wasn't there. The only other place I could think of that she would go was the library. I rushed out of the dorms and ran across campus and into the building. Bella wasn't at the front desk but, Samantha, motioned at the direction that she was in. I gave her a grateful smile as I took off for Bella.

I found Bella standing at the end of a row of books, shelving them the book cart as fast as she could. I slowly made my way down to her, unsure if she was going to even talk me. I didn't blame her for being upset but she had to know that I didn't want Jessica, right? She had to know that.

"Bella," I said, tentatively. She tensed up but didn't look back at me. "Bella, please, she means nothing to me."

"You're free to kiss whoever you want," muttered Bella, turning and looking at me. Her eyes were red and guilt filled me. I had made her cry. "I don't own you, Edward."

"Don't you?" I asked, sadly. "Bella, you're the only woman I want."

She shook her head, turning back to the cart. "Did you date her?" she asked.

"No," I exclaimed, moving so that I was in front of her. "Bella, I danced with her once at a party last year. Just once, and she started following me around campus, turning up outside of my classes. I thought I was going to have to file a restraining order on her."

"You never…" Bella trailed off as she blushed "You were never with her."

"I've never been with Jessica, in any way, shape, or form," I said, taking Bella's hand in mine. "Baby, I only want you."

"Yeah?" she murmured, laying her head on my chest.

"Only you," I whispered again.

"You have me, Edward," she said, quietly, and laying her free hand on my chest. "But if that bitch comes near you again, I'll fucking cut her."

I laughed as I leaned down and kissed her. Taking her other hand in mine, I led her out of the library. We made our way back across campus and up to my room, after I told her that Jasper and Alice were in hers. Bella didn't seem to mind staying in my room tonight, though. We changed into our pajamas, and I tried really hard not to turn back and look at her as she slipped off her hot, little dress, but it was hard not to. Bella had a fantastic body.

I wore just a pair of cotton shorts, hung loosely on my hips. When I turned back around, I saw Bella, standing in the middle of my room, with nothing but my t-shirt on. It hung down to the middle of her thighs and off of one of her shoulders. Her hair had been released and was wild and sexy. My cock was once again hard.

Bella looked up at me, hair falling forward and framing her face, nibbling on her bottom lip. So goddamn sexy and she didn't even know it. I crossed the room, sliding my arm around her waist, pulling her against me. Bella gasped as she placed her hands on my bare chest. I brought my free hand up to her face, cradling her in my hand as I leaned down and kissed her.

She moaned, opening her lips to me. As my tongue explored her mouth, the hand that had been around her waist, found it's way down to her ass, cupping her cheek in my hand. Bella moved her arms around my neck, holding on to me. I picked her up, carrying her over to my bed, and laying her down, moving so that I was hovering over her.

Bella slipped her leg up and around mine, pulling my full weight down onto her. She gasped as she pulled her lips from mine, turning her head as I attached mine to her neck. Her skin tasted like heaven and I wanted to feast on her all night. She had slipped her hands up to my hair, pulling. It felt fucking fantastic.

"God, Edward, what you do to me," she moaned as I pulled her shirt, or my shirt, off her shoulder and kissed every inch of her exposed skin.

"It's all you," I groaned, needing more. "All you, Baby."

I pushed the bottom of the shirt up, exposing her belly to me. Bella reached down and pulled the shirt completely off, leaving her laying there with only a pair of black, lace panties on. She was certainly trying to kill me. I took the time to memorize every inch of her body. She was the most beautiful, sensual, sexy woman I had ever seen. Small, perky breast, flat smooth stomach, long sexy legs, and a beautiful face. She was perfect.

"Edward," she murmured, bringing her hands down and slipping them into my shorts. "Off."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, smiling.

It only took me about two seconds to get my shorts off, kicking them to the ground. Bella giggled and my cock twitched inside of my boxers. "Those, too," she smirked.

"Bella," I growled.

"If you do, I will," she teased.

I narrowed my eyes at her as I leaned back on my knees, hooking my fingers into the top of my boxer briefs. Bella's eyes flittered down as I slipped my boxers down my thighs, releasing my cock. Her tongue snaked out of her mouth and it twitched, causing her to smile. I kicked them off and settled back on my feet.

"Your turn," I smirked.

Bella blushed bright red as she let her hands roam over her body, brushing across her nipples. Did she just not realize what a turn on that was? As her hands moved closer to the top of her panties, my mouth went dry, silently begging her to move faster. Bella hooked her thumbs into her panties, slowly sliding them down her legs as she lifted her hips. Taking in all of her, I inhaled sharply. Bella was sex.

"Fuck me," I muttered, under my breath.

"Thought that's where we were heading," she laughed, tossing her panties at me. I caught them against my chest, resisting the urge to bring them to my nose and inhale. Didn't want her to think I was a fucking crazy person.

"Do you have any idea just how fucking beautiful you are?" I asked, leaning down and kissing her. "Incredible."

"To you," she whispered.

"To everyone," I smiled.

"Only you matter," she murmured, quietly.

"Bella," I whispered.

"Make love to me, Edward," she said, leaning up on her elbows, bringing up hand up and laying it on my chest. "Please."

"Are you sure you are ready?" I asked.

Bella nodded her head. "Yes," she whispered.

I reached over and pulled a condom out of my desk. Bella cocked an eyebrow at me but didn't question it. We had already had the conversation about our sex lives, or lack there of. Neither Bella nor I had been with anyone else, and wanted our first times to be special. While this may not be what I had planned for her, I knew that we were ready.

Bella pulled the foil paper out of my hand and ripped it open. She rolled the condom on me, and I thought of anything else other than her hand on me, willing myself not to come too soon. I wanted Bella to enjoy this, to make it special for her. Bella stroked me a few times, before she let go, spreading her legs around me.

"Are you sure?" I asked again.

"Positive," she smiled.

I leaned down and kissed her, letting the tip of my cock press into her. Her warm spread around me, begging me to fill her. Bella brought her hands up, weaving her fingers into my hair again and pulled me into her. I gasped as she wrapped around me. She was so tight, so warm, so perfect. I paused, not wanting to hurt her but it was difficult, as she felt amazing.

"Move, please," she cried, clawing at my shoulders.

I slowly pulled back, and pushed back in, easing my way back into her slowly. Bella's grip on my shoulder loosened as I found a pace that worked for us. Placing my arms on either side of Bella's head, I braced myself as I moved in and out of her, feeling her walls massage me with each thrust. I wasn't going to make it long tonight but I was going to make sure that she came first. It was my job, after all.

Reaching down, I pulled her leg up, over my hip, deepening my strokes inside of her. Bella cried out, slamming her hand onto the wall over her head. My hips moved faster, harder as I felt the tingling in my midsection.

"Baby, are you close?" I gasped, trying my hardest to hold myself back.

"So close," she cried. "Just a little more."

"Oh fuck," I grunted.

Bella slipped her hand between us, rubbing on her clit. Her nails grazed against my cock and I lost it. Slamming my hips into her once again, I shuddered and filled my condom. Bella's back arched off the bed as her walls clenched down, and she came. I leaned down and kissed her as she rode her orgasm out, needing to keep our bodies connect for as long as I could.

"Fuck, that was…" she trailed off as she took a deep breath.

"Good, I hope," I said, half teasing and half serious.

"I was going to say fantastic," she smiled. "But you are kind of crushing me."

"Oh, sorry," I muttered, feeling my ears turn pink.

Bella giggled as I pulled out of her, slipping the condom off and tossing it into the trash. I laid back down on the bed, pulling the blanket over the two of us. Bella rolled and laid her head on my chest. She lightly ran her fingers along my chest, just letting me hold her.

"Edward," she murmured.

"Yeah," I whispered, softly.

"I… I really care about you," she said, quietly. "A lot."

"I care about you, too," I replied. "A lot more than a lot."

"It scares me," she said, so quietly, I wasn't sure I heard her correctly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I murmured, kissing the top of her head.


	8. Chapter 8

**A quick note: I apologize for the mess up with this upload last night. As soon as I realized what had happened, I deleted the updated. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get on my laptop last night and fix the mistake. I do work a full time job (50-60 hours a week, six days a week) and I have a family. So to the guest reader who decided to accuse me of ignoring y'all, no I wasn't. I was actually asleep because I get up every morning at 3:45 am for work. Again, I am sorry, but I have a lot going on in my life that is more important than this. **

**BPOV EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"I am going to kill your sister," I said, tossing my cell phone on to my counter in the library and looking over at Edward. He cocked his eyebrow at me, clearly asking me to explain why I was willing to commit a crime against someone he loves. "She's insisting that she packs for me when we go to Chicago."

"That's not a good idea," grimaced Edward.

"No shit, Sherlock," I snorted. "I've seen everything that she has in her closest and if she tries to squeeze my booty in anything she owns, we are going to fight. I'm pretty sure I can take her."

"I don't know, Baby, she's scrappy and she fights dirty," laughed Edward, leaning back in his seat. "She does this one thing with Emmett. Grabs him by the inner arm and digs her nails in, brings him to his knees every time."

"Crap, I had to be an only child, didn't I? No, I couldn't learn how to fight dirty like she could," I muttered. Turning back to my history book, I worried on my bottom lip. "I don't even know how I let you two talk me into going home with you in the first place."

"Because it's Thanksgiving and you shouldn't be alone." Edward reached over, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I looked up at him. "I don't want you to stay here all alone."

"But meeting your parents," I murmured, shaking my head. "Edward, it's too soon for that."

"Bella, we've been going out for three months," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Three months isn't very long," I said, feebly trying to defend myself.

Edward rolled his chair over, pulling mine between his legs and placing his chin on my shoulder. "I'm not forcing you to come with us. I can stay here with you instead."

"No, you can't," I muttered. "Your parents would not understand you not coming home for Thanksgiving."

"They would have to deal with it," he said. "I just want to be with you."

"I want to be with you," I said, looking over at him. "Which is why I am willing to fly across the country and meet your parents."

"They are going to love you," he smiled, leaning in and kissing me. "Just like I do."

"Not just like you do," I smirked. "That would be awkward."

Edward rolled his chair back over to his books as he laughed loudly. I couldn't help but laugh with him, even if I was scared to death. Meeting the parents was nerve racking enough as it was but flying across the country, when I really couldn't afford to be spending my money to fly across the country, was even worse. Edward had offered to pay for my ticket but I couldn't bring myself to let him do that. It was bad enough that he always paid for everything else we did, but I would not let him spring for this. I just had to pick up a few extra shifts to help cover everything and hope that nothing major came up before now and when my loans came through in January.

Two days later, I followed Edward down to the lobby of the dorms with my black duffel bag stuffed with the clothes that I was taking to Chicago with me. I had to fight tooth and nail with Alice to stop her from shoving all my crap out and replacing it with as she called it 'the better clothes.' Emmett, Alice, and Jasper were waiting for us in the lobby, with their own luggage behind them. My flimsy duffle bag looked like shit next to their leather luggage.

"We finally ready?" asked Emmett, standing up.

"Yep," said Edward, placing his hand on my back and urging me out the front doors.

Half an hour later, we were standing in line at the airport, trying to make our way through security so we could catch our flight. Typically, the airport was swamped with people trying to catch their flights and the lines moved very slow, painfully slow. After nearly an hour in line, the five of us had made our way through security and were sitting in front of the gate for our flight.

Alice was sitting next to Jasper, with her legs dangling over one of his and his arm around her tiny body. As sickening as they were to watch, they were sweet together. It was the little ways that he told her how much he loved her. A touch here, a whisper there. It made me think back to the night that Edward told me he loved me.

_Edward and I were laying on his bed, arms wrapped around each other, lips touching whatever part of the others body that we could find. Edward rolled so that he was hovering over me, pressing his naked body against mine. Pressing his forehead down onto mine, he slid into me, filling me completely. _

"_Edward," I gasped, holding onto him in anyway I could. "More."_

"_Bella," he moaned, pulling out so that just the tip of his erection was inside of me._

_Keeping his eyes locked on mine, he slid back into me, once again filling me completely. He wove his fingers in with mine, pulling my hands above my head as he fell into a slow, steady pace. My back arched as I felt my body reacting to him, pulling me toward him with each thrust of his hips, each caress of his lips on my skin. Just as my body began to shake and my walls constrict down onto him, Edward stilled himself. _

"_God, Bella, I fucking love you," he grunted. _

_I froze, unsure of what to say. Did Edward just tell me that he loved me while we were having sex? Should I be offended that he chose this moment to tell me? He pulled back, looking at me with wide, fearful eyes. _

"_Bella-"_

"_Did you mean it?" I asked, locking my legs around the back of his legs so that he couldn't pull out of me._

"_Yes," he murmured. "I'm so in love with you."_

_I smiled, knowing that regardless of how unromantic this moment had been, he was being sincere. "I love you, too."_

I was pulled out of my trip down memory lane when Edward asked me if I needed something to drink. I shook my head, already feeling nervous enough about this trip. He kissed my cheek and wandered off on his own. I looked back and found Emmett watching me, smiling at how Edward and I were together. I blushed as I looked at the floor.

"Was Rosalie going home, Emmett?" I asked, pulling the attention off of me.

"No, she had to work," he said. "When you work in retail, taking off for Black Friday is not even a possibility."

"Where does she work?" I asked.

"At Macy's," he said, proudly. "She's their top saleswoman."

"Look how proud you are," I teased him. Emmett laughed, crossing his legs at his feet.

"I am proud of her," he said, smiling widely. "She works hard. She's putting herself through school."

"That's sweet, Emmett," I murmured.

Edward came back right as they were calling for our flight to board. He took my hand in his as we made our way over and got into line. Emmett, Jasper, and Alice were flying first class but Edward and I were in coach. Edward had begged me to let him upgrade my ticket so that I could fly first class with him and Emmett, Alice, and Jasper but I refused. So instead, he changed his ticket to fly with me. I told him he didn't have to but he said that he couldn't handle spending nearly four hours on a plane without me. I fell in love with him even more than I already was, if that was possible.

Just over four hours later, our flight landed in Chicago. The hours on the plane had not been pleasant at all. There was a very large man sitting behind us who spent all four hours coughing, a baby five rows behind us who screamed the entire time, and the flight attendant who conveniently spilled a drink on Edward's lap just so she could pat his crotch. I was fixing to rip her hand off and shove it up her ass but Edward stopped me by grabbing my hand and telling her that he had it as he ripped the napkin out of her hand. Yeah, so not the best start to the trip at all.

I followed Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Edward through the terminal and down to the baggage claim. My feet felt like they got heavier and heavier with each step that I took. Edward was gripping my hand, nearly pulling me along after them. As we got closer, I saw two people standing next to the carousal.

The first, the woman, was incredibly beautiful. She had the same auburn hair that Edward had, only hers didn't stick out in every direction like his did. Hers was fixed to perfection to curve under her chin, showcasing her perfect skin and bright emerald, green eyes. She was wearing a pair of black pants that fit her perfectly, an ivory scoop neck sweater, and a pair of black heels, giving her a very sophisticated look.

The man next to her, arm slipped around her waist, was even more beautiful, if possible. He was as tall a Emmett but not nearly as brawny. He had silky dark blond hair, bright blue eyes and an certain air of arrogance about him. He was dressed just as sophisticated as his wife was, wearing a pair of dark black pants, a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a loose tie around his neck.

"My darling children are home," squealed the woman, stepping up and wrapping her arms around Edward, Emmett, and Alice. "I've missed you all so much."

"We've missed you, too," muttered Emmett. All three of them pulled back and the woman looked right past me and over to Jasper. In an instant her friendly demeanor changed.

"Jasper," she said, shortly.

"Mrs. Cullen, you look wonderful," He said, politely. She smiled but didn't return the complement. Jasper cleared his throat and looked down at Alice, who was frowning. "I'd better get out there to my mom and dad. I'll call you."

"Ok, Jas," murmured Alice, leaning up and kissing him. "I love you."

"And I love you," he whispered.

Jasper grabbed his bag, ignoring the disapproving looks on Edward's parents faces. He looked back at me, giving me a look that clearly said good luck. As they looked back at me and Edward, I knew I was going to need it. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

"Who is this?" asked their mother, giving me the once over and smiling a fake smile.

"Mom, Dad," said Edward, slipping his arm around my waist. "This is my girlfriend, Bella Swan." They just stared at me, clearly expecting more. Edward turned, giving me a small smile. "Bella, this is my mother, Esme, and my father, Carlisle."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," I said, holding my hand out to them. Carlisle and Esme looked down at my hand and smiled.

"You as well," smiled Esme. "Well, we should get going."

I dropped my hand to my side, quite shocked at how rude they were being. Edward tightened his grip around my waist as we followed his parents, brother, and sister through the airport and out to their car. The ride back to their house was made in complete silence. It was weird and awkward. Alice and Emmett sat in the middle seat of their large, black SUV, looking out the window while Edward and I were in the very backseat. Edward kept my hand in his.

Carlisle pulled the car up in front of a large, white house. Well, house was not the right word, mansion might have been better. We climbed out and headed inside, still without saying anything. Esme dropped her handbag on a glass table and looked back at me, scrutinizing everything about me. I blushed at the attention.

"We had planned on eating out tonight but perhaps that's not a good idea," she said, shortly. "I'll run into the kitchen and see what I can round up."

"Mom, there is no reason why we can't go out," said Edward, giving her a look.

"Edward, darling, why don't you show Betty to the guest room," said Esme, dismissively as she turned and walked toward the kitchen.

"Her name is Bella," yelled Edward.

"Edward, don't yell," scolded Carlisle, shaking his head as he walked away. The man had never even acknowledged me. Emmett, Alice, and Edward, all looked back at me, smiling sheepishly.

"They grow on you," said Emmett, feebly.

"I'm sure they do," I said, quietly. "They seem…lovely."

"Bella-"

"Don't worry about it, Alice," I said, quietly. "I'm a big girl."

"Come on, Baby, I'll show you to your room," murmured Edward.

Edward pulled on my hand, leading me up the stairs and down the hallway to the guest room. The room was large, much larger than any room I had ever been in before. The walls were white as were the linens on the bed, the curtains on the windows and the carpet. The only color in the room came from the dark oak bed frame, dressers, entertainment center, and bookshelf. I placed my bag on the floor and looked back over at Edward, feeling very out of place.

"This is a nice room."

"My room is two doors down," he said, smiling. "You can stay with me if you want to."

"I don't think Ma and Pa Cullen would like that very much." I turned and looked around the room. "I've never been in a room this big before."

"It's just a room, Bella," said Edward, slipping his arms around my waist, bringing his lips down onto the side of my neck.

"Keep telling yourself that, Cullen," I muttered, under my breath.

Edward took my hand in his as we made our way back downstairs. Esme called everyone into the dining room for dinner. She raised her eyebrow as Edward pulled my chair out for me. I blushed as I took a seat. Everyone else settled around the table, quietly placing their napkins in their laps. Esme cleared her throat as she picked up her glass of wine.

"Well, I managed to put together a little something for us to eat," she said, gesturing to the food in front of us. Each plate had a large helping of fettuccini alfredo and a salad. "Betty, you're probably not uses to eating like this, though, are you?"

"Mother," hissed Edward. "Her name is Bella, not Betty."

"No, ma'am, I'm not," I said, as nicely as I could. "The cafeteria at school doesn't usually serve such delicious food."

"Ugh, I can't even imagine." Esme shuddered. "You would think with how much we are paying them that they could afford better food."

"You would think," I agreed.

"So, Bella," said Carlisle, breaking his silence toward me as he picked up his fork. "Where are you from?"

"I lived in a small town in Washington State, until I came to San Francisco," I said, quietly. Edward reached over, squeezing my hand.

"Why didn't you go home for Thanksgiving?" asked Esme.

"Mom," muttered Edward.

"I'm just asking, Edward," said Esme, looking right at me.

"I don't have anyone to go home to, Mrs. Cullen," I said, keeping my eyes locked onto hers. I could feel Alice and Emmett staring at me.

"Where are your parents?" she asked, uncaringly. "You do have parents, don't you? You aren't one of those kids being raised in the system, are you?"

"My father passed away six months ago," I said, emotionally. For a moment her eyes softened but only for a moment.

"And your mother?" she asked. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the situation. "Is your mother dead as well?"

"Mother," gasped Alice. I tore my eyes off of Esme's.

"No, Mrs. Cullen, my mother left my father and I when I was baby," I said, quietly. "I've never meet her."

"So tragic," she said, offhanded, waving one of her perfectly manicured hands around.

I pushed my seat away from the table and stood up, looking down at Edward, who looked furious. "I'm not very hungry," I whispered. "I think I'll go to bed."

"I'll come with you," he murmured, standing up.

I shook my head, placing my hand on his chest. "Stay," I whispered. "Catch up with your parents. I'm sure they've missed you a lot."

"Bella," he murmured, again.

I simply shook my head as the tears in my eyes started falling down my face. Letting my hand slide across his chest, I walked past him and out of the room. Making my way up the stairs, I could hear Esme and Carlisle telling Edward to sit back down and that I was fine. I walked into the pristine guest bedroom and closed the door behind me. Letting my tears fall, I pulled out the t-shirt that Edward had given me to sleep in and changed. Sliding in under the covers, I hugged a pillow to my chest and cried myself to sleep. I missed my home and I missed my father.

Sometime during my weeping, I felt the bed dip as Edward climbed in and held me.

**PRESENT DAY**

I leaned against the wall, under my white board, holding onto my side and trying very hard not to think about the soaring pain that was shooting daggers through my body. The man had resumed his pacing in front of the door, muttering to himself about being in the wrong school. The children were on the other side of the room with Angela, who was rubbing her belly and crying silently. The man had refused to let me back over there, seeming to enjoy using me to taunt the kids. The bastard was crazy.

"I need to potty," whispered Steven, a little red headed boy, sitting next to Angela. Everyone looked over at him, including the crazy man.

"You can hold it," he said, gruffly.

"I can't," cried Steven, slipping his hands down and holding himself. "I gotta pee really bad."

"You can hold it," snapped the man again.

"He can't," I said, harshly. The man looked over at me, raising one of his eyebrows. "Steven has a small bladder. If he says he needs to go, then he needs to go now!"

"Let him piss his pants," growled the man. "I don't give a fucking shit."

I pushed myself up the wall, wincing as my ribs hurt. "You listen to me, you jerk," I spat. "He needs the potty and you will let him go."

The man crossed the room, gripping my neck in his large hand and pinning me to the white board. I mustard up all the strength I could as I brought my knee up, hitting him in the nuts. He groaned and threw me to the side. I hit my hip on the corner of my desk as I fell, screaming loudly. The kids had all started crying and screaming again.

"You stupid bitch," he spat, moving over and punching me in the face.

"Let him use the potty," I cried, rolling onto my side and curling myself into a ball.

"FINE!" he bellowed, spitting in my face.

The man turned and grabbed the trash can, placing it in the middle of the room. Crossing the room over to the kids, he grabbed Steven by the collar of his shirt, causing him and all the kids to start screaming. He dragged the scared little boy to the trash can and pointed.

"Piss," he ordered.

"No," wailed Steven, trying to pull himself out of the man's grip. The man raised his hand holding the gun, pointing it right at me.

"You piss here or you pee your pants," he threatened. "Decide now, or I kill the bitch."

Steven was sobbing so hard he could barely stand up as he started fumbling with the button on his jeans. "Kids, don't…look," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. The kids all closed their eyes or turned their heads, giving Steven some privacy while he peed in the trash can. I laid back on the ground. "It's ok, Steven. We aren't looking."

"Mrs. Cullen," he whimpered.

"I know, Sweetheart," I cried. "It's ok."

"Isn't that just sweet," muttered the man.

Once Steven was done, the man pushed him back toward the other kids. The man came over and grabbed me by my hair, shoving me back against my desk as he knelt in front of me. Placing the barrel of his gun under my chin, he leaned in.

"Try that again and I will kill you," he said, eerily calm.

"Edward is going to kill you," I muttered, looking him straight in the eye. "They will never bring your son to you and he is going to kill you."

"For your sake, you had better hope they do," he said, leaning into my ear. "If not, then once I've had my fun with you, I will make sure they never find your body. Believe me, I know how to get away with murder."


	9. Chapter 9

**EPOV PRESENT DAY**

The only emotion I felt in that moment was pure, motherfucking rage. Stepping over I ripped the goddamn microphone out of the hand of the dark headed reporter standing there, smiling at me. Was there really anything to fucking smile about?

"Detective Cullen, is it true that your wife is inside that room? Has the man hurt any of the children? What are his demands?" asked Serena Morgan, San Francisco's very own bitch reporter. She had a nasty habit of working her way into crime scenes and screwing everything up for us. Like our jobs weren't hard enough to do without adding her fucking ass to the mix.

"Get the fuck out of here," I snarled.

"Is it true he's demanding that you return his son to him in return for the hostages?" she asked, completely ignoring me.

"Get them out of there," ordered Jasper, yanking me back by my arm and glaring over at the two uniforms who were just standing there, like they hadn't just let reporters behind our yellow line.

The two rookies seemed to finally see the anger on Jasper's face so they grabbed the bitch and her camera man and pulled them back to stand with the rest of the vultures, just waiting for this to go bad. I pulled my arm out of Jasper's grip and walked away, leaving him and Alice standing there. Moving over, I stood at the playground, across from Bella's classroom. Squatting down, I pulled out my cell phone and called her.

"Well, well, Edward," Phil said, answering her phone. Just as I knew the crazy son of a bitch would. "Do you have my boy?"

"We're working on it," I muttered. "Let me talk to her."

"Why should I do that?" he asked.

"Because right now, she's the only person keeping me from coming in there and killing you," I sneered, regretting it immediately. The last thing I needed was to piss him off, not with my wife's life in his hands. However, Phil laughed.

"So I've heard," he cackled. "Ok, I'll let you talk to your little whore but, remember Eddie, I'm listening."

I listened as he dropped the phone on her. She was sniffling and my heart ached. My wife needed me. "Edward?" whimpered Bella.

Tears flooded my eyes, as I brought my hand up, running it through my hair. "Hey," I murmured. "You hanging in there?"

"I'm trying," she cried. "The kids are scared."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Kids, this is Mr. Edward," I said, trying to stop from blubbering like a baby. "I need you to be strong for me, ok? For Mrs. Cullen and Mrs. Webber, ok?" I heard them all murmur ok. I brought my hand up, wiping the traitorous tears off my face. "Bella, about this morning-"

"Don't," she sobbed. "Not like this. When we're safe, ok?"

"Baby," I cried.

"Me too but I need you to be strong for me out there."

"I'm going to get you out of there," I promised, giving up the fight against my tears.

"You promise?" she cried, harder than I had ever heard her cry.

"I promise," I vowed. "I fucking promise."

"That's so fucking sweet," laughed Phil. "The only way she gets out of here is by bringing my son back to me, where he belongs."

"Why? So you can beat him some more?" I seethed. "Cut him like you've been doing for god knows how long?"

"The boy needed to learn his manners," argued Phil. "Just like your woman here does, Eddie."

"Don't touch me," cried Bella.

Gripping my phone in my hand, I snarled into the phone, "I'm going to enjoy killing you, Dwyer."

"So I hear, Eddie," he taunted. "Just know that I won't go down without a fight, and I plan on taking your whore with me."

Before I could respond, he ended the call. I fell back, landing on my ass and dropping my phone. Gripping my hair in my hands, I cried because my wife was on the other side of that door, and he had just told me he planned on killing her.

**EIGHT YEARS AGO**

I had never been as pissed off and frustrated as I was after leaving the dinner table last night. I knew my parents would be a little standoffish at first, but I never thought they would be downright rude and hateful. Honestly, for the first time in my life, I was shamed of them.

Reaching across the bed, I had expected to feel Bella laying next to me but she wasn't. When I opened my eyes and looked around the guest room, I still didn't see her. Climbing out of the bed, I scrambled out of the room and went to look for her. She wasn't in my room or the bathrooms, so I headed downstairs. I found her sitting in front of one of the bay windows in the living room, staring out like she was lost inside her own head. I knew she was.

"Edward, what are you doing down here in your pajamas?" asked my mother, coming down the stairs behind me. Bella looked over at me, trying to smile but it wasn't my smile. Before giving me a chance to respond, Esme said, "Go get ready for the day. Really, Edward, I raised you better than this."

"Yes, mother," I muttered. Esme looked over at Bella, raising an eyebrow as she sat in my t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

Looking back at me, she said, "Really, Edward?"

I started to say something but Bella stood up, walking past my mother and I, up the stairs, letting her hand linger on my arm for a moment. Taking a deep breath, I told me mother, "Would it kill you to be nice?"

"Stop being so dramatic, Edward," she scoffed, heading into the kitchen.

Turning, I headed back upstairs and into the guest room. Bella was standing next to the bed, clothes laid out and looking between everything she brought with her. Shifting her eyes up to mine, she frowned, saying, "I guess I should have let Alice pack for me."

"No, you shouldn't have," I disagreed. Moving over, I took her hand in mine. "Bella, just be you."

"That easy, huh?" she asked, pulling her hand out of mine. Picking up a floral skirt and blue blouse, she said, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Bella," I said.

"I'm fine, Edward," she insisted. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

She headed into the bathroom and started her shower. Frustrated and pissed, I headed down the hallway to my bedroom, stripping off my pajamas and tossing them onto my bed. I didn't bother showering before I got dressed, pulling on a pair of khaki pants and a white dress shirt. By the time I got dressed and made it back to Bella's room, she was out of the shower and putting on a little bit of make up. I leaned against the door to her room, watching her. She looked up in the mirror, noticed me watching her and blushed.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

"Do I need a reason?" I countered. Bella smiled and it almost reached her eyes. She tossed her mascara into her bag and smoothed out her shirt.

"Does this look ok?" She worried.

"You look beautiful," I said, sincerely. She bit her bottom lips as she looked back in the mirror, clearly unsure if she was dressed right. "Bella, you look prefect."

"It'll have to do, I guess," she whispered, mostly to herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned to me, placing a smile on her face. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

I took her hand in mine as we headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. Alice was sitting next to Esme, who was chirping in her ear about some social event she had just been to. My sister, however, looked annoyed. Emmett sat next to her, minding his own business as he ate his breakfast. Carlisle, being uninterested in anything that ever happened at the dinner table, sat reading his newspaper. The moment Bella and I came in, however, Esme stopped talking and looked over at us. Her eyes narrowed in on our blended hands, jaw tightening. Bella tried to pull her hand out of my mine but I held onto it tighter and pulled her over to the table.

We sat down and I offered her some eggs and toast, both of which she declined, saying that she wasn't really very hungry. Esme stood up, snatching the plate out from in front of her and nearly tossed it into the sink. Bella's eyes dropped down to her lap, and I turned and looked at my mother. She gave me a blank look, like she wasn't sure what my problem was. I turned back to my plate and began eating, although I had pretty much lost my appetite.

"How's school going?" asked Carlisle, finally putting his paper down and looking around at me, Alice, and Emmett. "Studying hard? Getting good marks."

"Yep," we muttered together, knowing that he didn't really care. All he was doing was making idle conversation.

"Good, good," he said, nodding his head. Standing up, he looked down at me. "Let's go catch up."

"I'm not done eating," I said, gesturing to my plate.

He smiled, though it wasn't kind. "I'm sure you won't starve. Your mother has quite the feast planned for us."

"Dad-"

"Edward, your father would like to talk to you," said Esme.

Sighing, I looked over at Bella. "I'll see you in a bit, ok?"

She nodded her head. I followed my father out of the kitchen and down the hallway into the his study. Carlisle didn't seem to know how to talk to anyone in any other room but this one it seemed. He took the seat behind his desk, gesturing for me to take the seat across from him, which I did. For a moment, he just sat there.

"Well, school is good?" he asked, again.

"Yeah, going good," I said, nodding my head.

"Any idea what you want to major in?" he asked. I sighed, knowing he was going to start in on me again. My lack of direction was about the only thing my father did talk about with me. "Edward, you can't keep loafing in life. You're an adult and it's time for you to grown up."

"I am."

"Ok, so what are you going to do with your life?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. Carlisle threw his hands up. "Dad, I just don't know."

"There's always medicine," he hinted. I rolled my eyes. We'd had this conversation, too.

"I don't want to be a doctor, Dad," I said. "I've told you this before."

"What do you want to be then?" he asked, rudely. "A fireman? A police man? A garbage man? Do you even think about it at all?"

"Right now, I'm kind of leaning toward a garbage man," I muttered.

"Oh, I can tell," he quipped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, straightening up in my seat.

"Oh, come on, Edward, don't play dumb with me," he said, giving me a pointed look. "Bringing that girl home. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I wanted my girlfriend to meet my parents but I can see that was a mistake," I jibbed, standing up.

"Sit down," he ordered, standing up.

"I don't think I will," I said, walking to the door and pulling it open. "You're not the man I thought you were, Dad."

Shutting the door behind me, I ran my hand over my face, trying to get some kind of control. I should never have brought Bella here, I just never thought that my parents could be so cold hearted and rude. I needed to find her, hold her, and make sure she knew how much I loved her. However, I was on my way to the kitchen to find Bella when she came running past me, sobbing uncontrollably. Grabbing her arms, I pulled her to a stop.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked

"Nothing," she muttered, tearing her arm out of my hand and running up the stairs. Storming into the kitchen, I found my mother, draining her glass of wine, and staring at the turkey.

"What the hell did you say to her?" I demanded.

"Don't talk to me like that, Edward," she sniveled , pouring herself another glass of wine. I ripped the wine bottle out of her hand and threw it against the wall. "EDWARD!"

"WHAT DI D YOU FUCKING SAY TO HER?" I yelled. Esme stood there, shocked and amazed that I would actually speak to her like this. However, a moment later, the shock wore off.

"I told her the truth," she snapped, slamming her glass onto the counter. By now, Emmett, Alice, and Carlisle were standing in the kitchen, watching. "She's not good enough for you, Edward. She's a gold digging little tramp, who is looking for someone to pay her way now that her daddy is gone."

"Mother," gasped Alice.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You are a such a bitch," I said, bitterly.

"Don't speak to your mother like that," snarled Carlisle, moving over and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll talk to her any goddamn way I want," I snarled. "Bella isn't good enough for me? I'm the one who isn't good enough for her!"

"Oh, please," scoffed Esme, rolling her eyes. "You could have any one you wanted but you pick this little…piece of trash-"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, picking the turkey up and throwing it at the wall. Esme gasped, stepping backwards. "You are the trash, Mother, not her. She's perfect and amazing. She's strong and beautiful and I am in love with her. How could be so fucking cruel?"

"Love?" asked Esme, snidely. "You don't know what love is."

"Oh, for fuck sake, shut up!" snapped Alice. We all looked over at her. "I am so tired of hearing about you and your pathetic little ideals of what love is."

"Mary Alice, this has nothing to do with you," said Carlisle.

"Bullshit, it doesn't," she spat. "Bella is my friend, my best friend seeing as I don't have a lot of them. I won't let you stand here and do to her what you've done to Jasper for months."

"We haven't done anything to Jasper," bit Esme.

"That is such BULLSHIT!" Alice took a deep breath. "The moment I told you that he proposed to me, you both turned on him, telling us that we had to wait at least three years to get married if we wanted you to pay for it. Even though it tore my heart out, I agreed. All you've done since is treat him like nothing. Now, you are doing the same to Bella, and I won't let you," cried Alice. Emmett reached out, pulling our sister against him, holding her tight.

"I won't either," he said, calmly. He looked over at me. "Go to her, Edward. She needs you."

With one last look at my parents, I ran out of the room. I could hear Emmett telling them that things had better change now or they were going to end up losing all of us. The door to the guest room was wide open when I got upstairs. Walking into the room, I expected to see her curled up on the bed, crying into her pillow but she wasn't. In fact, there was no sign that she had ever been in this room. The only exception was a piece of paper folded on top of the dresser. Dread filled me as I crossed the room, picking it up. Unfolding it, I read the words, falling to my knees.

**Edward,**

**I'm sorry. I won't stand in your way any longer. Don't come after me.**

**Bella**

"Where is she?" asked Alice. I looked over my shoulder at her as I shook my head.

"She left," I choked out.


	10. Chapter 10

**BPOV EIGHT YEARS AGO**

I wasn't sure how I managed to get out of the Cullen house and back to the airport in one piece but I did. It took a great deal of time, and even more money, but I managed to trade in my return ticket for a flight that left just an hour later. Someone had to be looking out for me, in order for me to manage to get on that flight. I boarded my plane back to San Francisco and let my tears fall at who I was leaving behind, the love of my life.

As I ran out of that hell, with my suitcase barely latched, I could hear Edward yelling at his bitch of a mother. Never had I ever been made to feel like more of a loser than I did while alone in the kitchen with Esme Cullen. I never knew one person could have so much hate inside of them, but she did.

_The moment Edward was off talking with his father, Esme shooed Alice and Emmett out so she could get to know me. That's what she said, anyway. However, the moment they were gone, she turned and gave me the look. The one that said I had a lot of nerve for showing my face there. _

"_I'm going to cut right to the chase," she said, pouring herself a glass of wine, even though it was only nine o'clock in the morning. "I want you gone."_

"_Excuse me?" _

"_No, I don't think I will. You're not good enough for my son, Betty."_

"_My name is Bella, Mrs. Cullen," I gritted, feeling thoroughly annoyed. "Not Betty."_

"_Bella, a plain ordinary name for a plain ordinary girl," she fluttered. I looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say. "You seem like a bright girl so I'm going to lay it on the line for you. Edward is a sweet boy, who needs some direction in his life. That direction is not you, Bella. Now, I'm willing to pay you enough that you won't have to worry about anything, but only if you stay away from my son."_

_My mouth fell open and my eyes filled with tears. "You're trying to buy me off?" I asked, thickly._

"_Yes." She showed no emotions as she answered me. Nothing to show that she had a heart or soul of any type. "I don't want my son to end up in some trailer park, raising someone else's kid."_

"_You can go straight to hell," I snarled. "Edward loves me."_

"_You are nothing more than a plaything to him," she said, dismissively. "The only reason my son is with you at all is because he's bored. When someone better comes along, he's going to throw you out with the rest of the garbage."_

"_You're wrong," I cried. "Edward loves me."_

"_Yes, I'm sure he told you that," she smirked. "Just like he has all the little white trash girls that he's brought home to us. With all of them, he got what he wanted and left. Save yourself the heartache, Bella, and get out while you still have some pride left."_

"_You're lying," I whispered, shaking my head. _

"_Am I?" she asked, raising one of her perfect eyebrows. "I can see the doubt in your eyes, Bella. Now, I'm willing to be generous, but only if you get out of my children's lives."_

"_Fuck you and fuck your money," I muttered, letting my tears fall as I turned and ran out of the room._

The plane touched down at the airport, jarring me from reliving every moment I had spent with Esme Cullen, and rolled up to the gate. Sniffing back the lingering tears that hung on my lashes, I grabbed my bag and walked off the plane, through the terminal, and to where ever would make the hurt go away. As I made my way to the front of the airport, I found Rose waiting for me, just where she said she would be when I called her from the airport in Chicago I didn't know her very well, but right now, she was the only person I could call.

"Thanks for picking me up," I muttered.

"Don't worry about it," she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. "I was bored out of my fucking mind today, anyway."

"No family?" I asked.

"None worth seeing," she murmured, cryptically. I nodded my head in understanding. "You were only in Chicago like a day. That bad, huh?"

"That bad," I replied, letting her take my bag and put it in the backseat of her car, an old Pontiac GTO. "Nice car."

"She will be when I get done with her," said Rose, walking around to the driver's side. "She's the only thing my fucker of a father ever gave me, if you don't count the black eyes."

I wasn't sure what to say. Rose smiled, pulling open her door. "Let's get the fuck out of here, already. I have a bottle of tequila and several limes calling our names, Bella."

"You can just take me back to campus," I muttered, climbing in next to her.

"No can do, Sweet-pea," she giggled. "I'm feeling the need to get my drink on and I don't like drinking alone. Besides, what kind of a friend would I be if I left you alone when you needed me?"

"You think of me as your friend?" I cried.

"Of course, I do," she said, softly.

I nodded my head, feeling the tears sprinkle down my face. "I could really use a friend."

"Me too," whispered Rose, starting her car.

Rose and I didn't speak again as she drove us through San Francisco to her apartment. It was a small two bedroom that wasn't in the best of neighborhoods but she seemed pretty damn proud of it. I grabbed my bag from the back seat and followed her up to the fourth floor apartment. She locked the door behind me, taking my bag from my hand and tossing it into the guest bedroom. I would have protested, but honestly, I didn't want to go back to the dorms and spend the next three days alone. I didn't want to go back to the dorms at all, in fact.

"Do you know how to cook?" asked Rose, heading into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I cooked for my dad all the time," I replied, following her.

"Good, cause I can't cook for shit," she laughed. "I've got some stuff in there," she said, gesturing to the fridge. "See what you can put together and I'm going to get some tunes going. I can't stand to drink in silence."

Rose didn't have much but I was able to put together a pretty decent enchilada casserole and a salad for the two of us to share. She hooked her iPod to her docking system and started playing Foreigner. I was impressed that she was fan of the old classics. I never would have thought if her as such. I fixed us both a plate and we settled on the couch, a couple juice glasses with the tequila in them and a bowl of limes.

"Damn, Bella, this is good," she exclaimed, taking a big bite. "I bet your daddy wishes you had come home for Thanksgiving."

"My father's dead," I muttered, dropping my eyes away from hers.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, softly. "Emmett never said anything."

"He didn't know," I murmured, smiling weakly. "At least not until this weekend. Only Edward knew."

"Why didn't you tell them?"

"Because I didn't want their pity," I whimpered, feeling my tears building again. "He, um, was sick. Cancer."

"A long time?" she asked.

I nodded my head. "Three years," I whispered. "He died just before I graduated high school. Never even got to see me walk across the stage," I cried. Rose pulled my plate out of my hand and handed me my glass.

"I think we had better start with this," she said, sadly.

"I've never drank before."

"Never?" she asked.

Shaking my head, I murmured, "I had to take care of him."

"Then we have a lot of time to make up for," she snickered, handing me a lime. "Since you've never done a shot, you can watch me do mine first, ok?"

I nodded. Rose licked the inside of her wrist, and sprinkled some salt on it. Winking at me, she licked the salt off, sucked on her lime, and chased it down with her tequila. Taking a deep breath, I followed her. The tequila burned my throat, causing me to cough a little. I expected her to laugh at me, but she didn't. She patted me on the back and took another shot of her tequila before picking her plate back up. I took one more shot, this time knowing what to expect, and went back to my dinner. Once we were both done eating, Rose took my plate into the kitchen, and brought out a carton of ice cream, mint chocolate chip, and two spoons. Sitting cross legged on the couch, she handed me a spoon and dug in. As I did before, I followed her lead.

"So are you going to tell me why you came running back from Chicago?" she asked, throwing back another round of Tequila.

"What has Emmett told you about his parents?" I asked, picking up my glass and taking another shot.

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "Not much. He said they were nice people but it took a bit to warm them up."

"Nice," I snorted, shaking my head. "Nice if you consider them telling you that are nothing more than a plaything."

"What?" she asked.

I replayed my conversation with Esme and the way she treated me and Jasper at the airport. With each detail I shared, Rose's mouth fell open and her eyes bugged out. Taking another shot, I hiccuped and said, "I've never, in all my life, felt so humiliated."

"I can't believe they didn't warn you about that snotty bitch," muttered Rose. "Thank god I have to work. I would have ripped her fucking head off."

"Maybe she's right," I whispered, pulling my knees up in front of me.

"You don't really mean that, Bella," scoffed Rose.

"Don't I?" I asked. "Look at me, Rose, I can barely afford to pay for a pack of gum. I had to use every cent I had saved this semester to pay for that ticket and to change my flight this morning. I work my ass off, study around the clock because if I don't, I won't have any place to go." I paused, wiping the tears off my face. "I don't have anything. Why would Edward want to be with me?"

"Because you are beautiful, and nice, and smart," she said, holding up her fingers. "Bella, that boy is in love with you."

"I thought so, too, but..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "Maybe I was just another way to piss mom and dad off."

"You're wrong," she murmured, darkness filling her eyes.

"Trying convince me or yourself, Rose?" I asked, tossing back another shot. I reached out and grabbed the bottle, pouring myself another one. "Something tells me Momma Esme won't much like her precious Emmett being with you, either."

"No, I'm sure she won't," Rose frowned, pouring herself twice the amount as before. "But she can go to hell. I won't let Emmett go that easily, and if you are half as smart as I think you are, you won't let Edward go, either."

"Guess I'm not that smart then," I muttered. "I won't let anyone use me like that, Rose."

Rose and I didn't talk about the Cullen's for the rest of the day. We finished the ice cream and tequila before moving on to the vodka she had in her freezer. Stumbling into the guest bedroom. I stripped off the the stupid floral skirt I was wearing and blue blouse, tossing them on the floor. Digging through my bag, I pulled out Edward's t-shirt and slipped it on. Falling onto the bed, I pulled it up to my nose, inhaling what I hoped to be his scent.

"Bella, roll over," slurred Rose, crawling onto the bed next to me. I did as she ask, letting her curl up around me. "I was lonely."

"What?" I asked.

"Before you called," she murmured, ducking her face into my neck. "I was so fucking lonely. I almost thought about going to the fuckers house, even if that would just lead to a bunch of shit happening."

"I'm glad you didn't," I whispered.

"I love him," she barely whispered. "If I lost Emmett, it would kill me, Bella. I love him so much."

"It hurts," I cried. "I love Edward so much. I think my heart is dead."

"Not dead," she murmured, flopping her arm across my waist. "Just broken."

"Dead," I wept.

Rose mumbled something as she drifted off to sleep. Wishing it was Edward holding me, I cried myself to sleep.

**PRESENT DAY**

The crazy man that Edward had referred to as Dwyer sat on the small cabinets that stretched the length of my room, ending just before it got to the door. The school had forced us to pack everything in our classrooms just before the summer break and place them in storage so they could redo all the classrooms in my wing of the school. Edward had not been happy about helping me pack everything and move it. He said it was just a hassle but coming into my classroom again in August had made it worth it. It was beautiful and I had been excited for the kids to come in so we could enjoy it together. Now, I would give anything to leave this room.

The kids were still sitting on the other side of the room with Angela. A few of them had leaned against each other in an effort to comfort the other or just to feel safer. While they weren't screaming or crying anymore, none of them had really calmed down at all. Their little eyes would flicker between me and Dwyer. I was leaning against the wall behind me, trying my hardest to ignore the pain that radiated throughout my body. I had to be strong for my kids, but it was getting harder.

"Why'd you become a teacher?" asked Dwyer, looking up at me. "You can't love these little brats that much."

"I do," I murmured, smiling at my kids. They were looking over at me, frowns on their faces. "Kids are amazing when you don't abuse them."

"Abuse," snorted Dwyer, standing up and pacing. "I didn't abuse my son, Bella. I disciplined him."

"You don't get to call me Bella," I groused. Dwyer laughed, twirling the gun around his finger. "You should put that thing away before you do something even stupider than you when you came in here."

"Should I now, Bel-la?" he asked, emphasizing my name. "I don't think you are in any position to tell me what to do."

I shook my head and looked away from him. "What did you think was going to happen when you started abusing your son?" I asked. "That nobody would notice the bruises?"

"You should shut your fucking mouth," he snapped.

"Of course, you probably didn't think, did you?" I asked, looking back over at him. "Is that why you beat him? Because your son was smarter than you are?"

"Shut the fuck up, you stupid whore," he yelled, standing up.

"I knew it," I muttered. "Only reason a coward like you takes on those who can't fight back. You really are a dumb son of a bitch, aren't you?"

The man crossed the room, grabbing me by my hair and slamming against the white board again. "I said to shut your fucking mouth," he snarled, spraying spit into my face and bringing his other hand up to my throat.

"You come in here, waving that gun around to a bunch of innocent children," I croaked, feeling his fingers tighten around my throat. "You're a fucking coward, Dwyer. If your son had been in my class, I would have made sure that he never had to see your goddamn face again, you lousy, child-beating piece of shit!" With all the strengthen I could muster, I pushed him off of me. He stumbled back. "Don't ever put your hands on me again."

"I'm going to enjoy watching the life fade in your pretty brown eyes," he murmured, pointing his gun at me.

Spreading my arms out, I laughed. "Then do it already."

"Bella," muttered Angela as the children started crying. "Stop it."

Dwyer stood frozen, like he wasn't sure what I was saying. I stepped up to him so that the barrel of the gun was pressed in the middle of my chest. "If you are going to kill me, you motherfucker, then do it already. Just let the kids and Mrs. Cheney go."

A smile spread across Dwyer's face as he pushed the gun into my chest, causing me to stumble back into the whiteboard again. "You're willing to die for those loud mouth brats."

"Yes," I said, with confidence. "Shame you aren't willing to let them go for your son."

"Woman, I'll give you this, you're a brave little whore," he laughed, pulling the gun away from my chest. "But I ain't letting the brats go. I'm going need them to out of this little situation."

"You're despicable," I muttered, sliding back to the floor.

"I know," he said, taking his seat back over on the cabinet. "My wife said the same thing, and look where it got her."

"You can't honestly think that you are getting your boy back, can you?"

Dwyer turned serious. "For your sake, and the sake of the brats, you had better hope I do."


	11. Chapter 11

**EPOV PRESENT DAY**

My head hurt. We had been standing outside of Bella's classroom for going on four hours now, and we had accomplished nothing. My wife, her sixteen students, and her aide, were still locked behind that door with a child-beating, crazy motherfucker.

"Cullen." I didn't bother turning as Captain Davis stepped up next to me, folding his arms in front of him "You hanging in there?"

"Yep," I muttered, gruffly.

"If you need a break-"

"I'm not leaving until my wife is out of that room," I spat, gesturing to her door. Captain Davis simply stared at me, almost as if he was amused. I didn't see anything funny.

"I need you to go up and talk to the parents," he said. I started to protest but he held up his hand. "They need to know that you are invested in making sure that not only Bella comes out of that class room in one piece. Now, I can tell them that until I am blue in the fucking face, but they aren't going to give a shit. They will listen to you."

"Why would they listen to me?" I asked.

"Because your wife is in there," Captain Davis explained. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. "Edward, they need to know that we are doing everything we can to keep their kids safe."

"Fine, whatever."

Turning away from him, I headed up the playground toward the doors that lead into the main part of the school. Jasper followed but didn't say anything, knowing I was less than thrilled with having to go in there and explain to all of them that for now, all we could do is wait until the right opportunity presented itself to us. When I walked into the second grade classroom, where the parents of sixteen kindergarteners sat, anxiously awaiting news from about their children, we found most of the parents sitting quietly.

However, the man standing in the back of the classroom stood out the most to me. Ben Cheney, a dark haired man with equally dark eyes. Ben leaned against the wall behind him with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans and nervously tapping his foot. He looked up as Jasper and I came, inhaling deeply and worry etched all over his face. Of course, everyone noticed when we came in, turning their attention to the two of us.

"I'm Detective Cullen, and this is my partner, Detective Whitlock."

"Cullen?" asked a light haired man in the back. He had his arm wrapped tightly around the woman to his side. "As in Mrs. Cullen."

Hesitating for just a moment, I sighed. "Yes, Mrs. Cullen is my wife. Now-"

"What are you doing to get our children out of that room?" asked the same man.

"Sir, we are doing everything we can to ensure that your children, Mrs. Cullen, and Mrs. Cheney," looking over at Ben, "are safe. Right now-"

"How?" The same man asked, standing up. "It's been four hours and they are still in there."

"I know perfectly well how long they've been in there-"

"Then what are you doing about it?" he groused. Several of the other parents nodded their heads, looking for the same answer that we couldn't give him. We simply didn't know.

"Sir, we have to be very careful with how we proceed," said Jasper, stepping up next to me. "The suspect has made his intentions very clear and in order to make sure that this has the right ending, we have to have patience."

"Patience?" asked a woman in front of Ben. She stood up, tossing her long chestnut brown hair behind her shoulder. "My daughter is in that classroom. Don't tell me about having patience."

"We understand how difficult this is-"

"You understand nothing," she snapped, throwing her hands up. "You stand out there fucking yourselves while our children are at the mercy of some crazy bastard."

"Maureen, sit down," ordered Ben, making his way up to the front of the classroom. Maureen fell back into her seat, shooting daggers at me and Jasper. "Now, I know exactly what all of you are feeling. My wife, Angela, is in there as well, but it's not helping anything to throw out accusations that you can't take back."

"The man inside of that room has already made it clear that he will do whatever he has to do, to ensure that his demands are met. Now, luckily, all the kids are ok, scared but ok. Mrs. Cullen and Mrs. Cheney are doing everything they can to protect your children." As I spoke, Ben looked over at me, fear filling his eyes. "But I can assure you that everyone is ok."

"Just get our children out of that room," said Maureen. "They're innocent."

"I know," I replied. "Believe me, I know."

After making sure nobody else had any questions or concerns, Jasper and I headed back outside with Ben following us. It was unorthodox for us to bring him with us, but he needed to be there. He and I had become friends after Bella and Angela started working together three years ago. He was a good guy, a honest man. The kind of man I used to be.

**EIGHT YEARS AGO**

The last place I wanted to spend Thanksgiving was in the motherfucking airport, but that's exactly where Emmett and I ended up spending the day. Our parents, if you could call them that, stood wordlessly by the front door as me, Emmett, and Alice left carrying as much as we could in our rush to get the hell out of there. Even the tears running my down my mother's face couldn't make me feel bad for leaving, not after what she had said to Bella. I had never been more ashamed to be a Cullen, than I was in that moment.

Jasper sat in his father's car at the end of the long, narrow driveway, ready to take me and Emmett to the airport. Alice insisted on staying with him, knowing that at least with his family, she would be welcomed and loved. Jasper offered for me and Emmett to stay, too, but I needed to get back to Bella, to make her see that everything my mother spouted off was bullshit. Emmett, I think, didn't want me to be alone. I appreciated it.

"We're never going to get back," I muttered, standing up. We had been sitting in O'Hare for the last four hours and we were still on the goddamn waiting list for the next flight. I had tried to call Bella more than a dozen times but she wasn't answering.

"We'll get back, we'll find Bella, and everything will be ok," said Emmett.

I wanted to believe him, I really wanted to believe him, but he didn't know Bella like I did. He didn't see the hurt in her eyes when she came running out of the kitchen. She believed every fucking word Esme said to her. Sighing, I plopped back down on my plastic chairs, bending forward and placing my elbows on my knees, burying my face in my hands. If I lost her now, there would be recovering from it. She was my life.

"Did you know about her dad?" asked Emmett. Shifting in my seat, I looked over at him.

"I did," I admitted.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he grumbled. "We could have been there for her."

"It wasn't my business to tell," I replied. "She and her dad were really close. I mean, like really close. When he got sick, Bella had to drop everything and take care of him. Then he was gone and she told me she felt lost and alone."

"Oh man," he sighed, shaking his head. "I can't believe she dealt with that all alone."

"She's amazing," I murmured. "And she doesn't even see it."

Emmett let the subject drop as he stood up and pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket, trying to call Rose again. He had already called her several times and hadn't been able to get through to her, something that seemed to worry him more than it should have. Never in my life had I seen Emmett so consumed by a woman. Finally after another two hours, Emmett and I managed to get a flight out. The plane was crowed and loud; babies crying and kids screaming as they ran up and down the aisle. On the inside, I wanted to scream and yell at everyone to shut the fuck up, but on the outside, I sat there, looking out the window and wished the plane could fly faster.

Four hours later, our flight finally landed at the San Francisco International Airport. Due to the heavy air traffic, our plane ended up sitting on the tarmac for over an hour before it rolled up to a gate and we were finally allowed to leave the plane. Emmett and I headed straight out to catch a cab, but there was already a long line of people who had been waiting for one. By the time, we got one, it was nearly three in the morning and both Emmett and I were cranky. Neither of us had been able to get a hold of out women.

The cab finally pulled up in front of the dorms. Emmett tossed him some money, adding on a decent sized tip, and we headed inside. Without a word, we took the elevator up to the third floor, and banged on Bella's door. She didn't answer. I slid down to my to the floor determined to be there when she came out or got home.

"Edward, come on, let's get some sleep." Emmett reached for my arm but I scooted away from him.

"No," I muttered, pulling my knees up. "I'm not leaving here until I talk to her."

"She's probably at the library," said Emmett, trying to convince himself as well as me.

"The library is closed for Thanksgiving," I gritted out. "I'm staying here."

"Fine, then so am I." Emmett sat on the floor next to me, stretching out his long legs.

"I don't need a babysitter."

"No, you don't, but you need your brother," he grumbled. "I'm not leaving, Dude. Just accept it."

I nodded my head, laying my forehead on my arms. Emmett kicked off his shoes and pulled out his phone, trying to call Rose again. Muttering to himself, he tossed it onto the floor. "Still not answering?"

"Nope," he muttered, shaking his head. "I didn't want to leave her." Emmett looked over at me. "I offered to stay with her but she told me that I couldn't because she had to work. I think she was just scared."

"Do you love her?" I asked.

Emmett shifted his eyes to his feet. "Yeah, I do," he admitted. "She's pretty amazing."

"Seems like it," I agreed, kicking off my own shoes. "How could they be that cruel?"

"I don't know." Emmett shook his head. "Never thought mom could be such a..."

"Bitch."

"Yeah," he murmured, nodding his head. "Maybe we just didn't want to see it."

"Maybe, but if I can't get her back, I'll never be able to forgive them."

"You'll get her back," said Emmett, placing his hand on my shoulder. "For some reason, that girl loves you, Edward."

"Yeah, for some reason."

Emmett and I ended up falling asleep against each other. It wasn't until his cell phone started blasting that we both snapped our eyes open. While he picked up his phone, I scrambled to my feet and started knocking on Bella's door again.

"Edward, stop," yelled Emmett, grabbing my arm. I ripped it out of his hand.

"I need to talk to her," I snapped.

"She's not here. That was Rose. Bella is over at her place."

"Rose's?" I asked.

Emmett nodded. "Guess Bella called her to pick her up yesterday but Rose didn't want Bella to be alone, so she took her to home."

"Where does Rose live?" I asked.

"Dude-"

"Where does she live?" I yelled, heatedly.

"In the Canterbury Apartments over on Jefferson," replied Emmett. "Near the shopping center on 58th, apartment 4B."

"Em," I sighed.

"Go."

"Thanks."

Without another word I took off down the hall and into the elevator. I ran out of the dorms and climbed into my car, peeling out of the parking lot. Because of Black Friday traffic, it took me nearly an hour to drive over to Rose's apartment building. I slammed on the brakes, shifting my car into park, and rushing into the building. I took two steps at a time as I ran up to the fourth floor and found her door. Taking a deep breath, I knocked. Nothing. After a couple of minutes, I knocked again.

"I'm coming!" bellowed Bella.

The locks clicked and the door swung open and there stood my Bella. For a long minute, we just stared, letting the silence speak for us. Her eyes were dark, puffy, and full of sorrow and grief. The same way they looked when she first came to school. Finally, she dropped her eyes off of mine and stepped back, silently letting me into the apartment. She shut the door behind me and walked into the living room, grabbing the empty dishes off the coffee table. It didn't go unnoticed that she wore my t-shirt.

"Bella-"

"Don't," she said, cutting me off. Setting the empty dishes in the sink, she looked back at me. "I get it, ok? You didn't need to come over here to make it any clearer."

"Make what clearer?" I asked. "Baby-"

"Don't." Bella put her hand up, stopping me once again. "Don't call me that."

"What?"

"Baby," she replied. "Don't call me Baby."

"I thought you liked it when I called you that," I muttered.

"I did."

"But you don't now?"

"I still do," she admitted, nodding her head. "But it hurts, too. Especially when I know why you are here."

"Why am I here?" I could barely get the words out.

"You know why." Looking up at me, she frowned. "I'll save you the trouble, though. We're over."

I stood there watching her, absorbing what she had just said. Bella was breaking up with me, all because my mother had been a bitch to her. Opening my mouth, I tried to say something, anything, but nothing would come out. My heart ached, breaking in my chest and I really wanted to punch the shit out of the wall.

"Let's not pretend that this would have worked, Edward," she continued, gesturing between us.

"Why can't it?" I asked, heatedly. "Why can't you and I have what everyone else has, Baby?"

"Don't call me that," she yelled.

"Tell me why we can't work!"

"Because I'm not like you, Edward," she exclaimed.

Blinking rapidly, I stared at her. "Not like me? How are you not like me?"

"I know, ok?" Bella turned her back on me, placing her hands on the counter in front of her.

"You know what?" I asked, tensely.

"About the others." She spoke so softly, I barely heard her, but I did hear her.

"What others?"

Turning back to me, Bella glared. "The others, Edward. All the other girls you took home to rub in your parents faces."

"Other girls?" I scoffed. "There haven't been any other girls, Bella. I told you that I had never taken anyone home before."

"So you said," she muttered, darkly. "Of course, you also said they would love me, and they clearly don't."

"I didn't think they would be like that, Baby-"

"STOP CALLING ME BABY!" she screamed, grabbing a plate and smashing it onto the ground. I snapped my mouth shut. "How could you take me there? They humiliated me and you never gave me any warning!"

"I didn't know-"

"Bullshit," she snarled. "You knew how they were to Jasper and they've been together for three years, Edward."

"I thought they would be nice, at least civil. I didn't think they would be like that or I would never have taken there. Bella, you have to believe me." I pleaded with her to believe me, to give me another chance. "I love you."

"So you say." Her tone icy and detached.

"You know I love you," I said. "And you love me, too."

"I do," she admitted, shifting her eyes away from mine. "But I won't let you use me to defy your parents."

"Is that what you think?" I hissed. "That you are just some plaything to me?"

"Aren't I?" she countered, shifting her eyes over to me. "I trusted you, Edward. I needed you and you used me to throw in mommies face."

"I did no such thing." Bella rolled her eyes. "I didn't, Baby."

"Don't-"

"NO," I yelled, throwing my hands up. "I'll fucking call you Baby if I want to!"

Bella pushed past me and headed into one of the bedrooms. I reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around. She gasped but before she could say anything, I crushed my lips down onto hers, plunging my tongue into her mouth. Bella brought her hands up, pushing me off of her. I thought she was going to slap me; instead she launched herself into my arms, attacking me with her lips and wrapping her legs around my waist.

"I fucking hate you," she cried, peppering my neck with kisses. I stumbled into the room she had been heading into, kicking the door shut behind us.

"I fucking love you more than anything," I murmured, lowering her onto the bed.

Bella flopped back on the bed, her dark mahogany hair splayed out under her. My t-shirt riding up, showing me her beautiful legs. Sliding my hands up, I gripped her little white panties, the ones she always wore for me, and ripped them off, tearing them at the seams. Bella moaned, letting her legs drop open for me. Tossing the ruined fabric to the floor, I crawled up between her legs, dipping my tongue into her.

"Sweet fuck!" she cried, arching off of the bed.

I placed my hands on her thighs, pushing her them down onto the bed and leaving her wide open for me. Over and over, I licked her, slipping my tongue in as far as I could. Bella withered under me, moaning and begging for more. I was only too happy to give her more. Pulling away from her, I reached down and undid my pants, pushing them down over my legs, to my thighs. Bella reached up and grabbed my shirt, pulling me back down onto her. The head of my dick slipped inside of her. Crushing my lips to Bella's, I thrust into her, filling her to the brink.

"OH GOD!" she gasped, tearing her lips from mine.

Grabbing her hands and pulling them up over her head, I started pounding into her. Our skin slapped against each other's, our eyes locked together. Bella started lifting her hips, meeting my thrusts. Locking both her hands under one of mine, I reached down and tanked her shirt up, exposing her bare breasts. I lowered my mouth down, taking her pebbled nipple into my mouth, and biting down.

"EDWARD!" she screamed, pushing her breast into my mouth. I slid my arm around her back, giving me the leverage to keep pounding into her, taking her deeper and harder than I ever had.  
"I'm so fucking close," she moaned.

"Cum, Bella," I ordered, popping her nipple out of my mouth and looking into her eyes. "NOW!"

Bella cried out, back arching off the bed as she tumbled over the edge. Her skin flushed, lips parted, nails digging into my hands, I came harder than I ever had, stilling my hips against hers. Releasing her hands, I dropped my head on her chest. Bella moved her hands to my hair, running her fingers through.

"Bella, please, don't let my bitch of a mother ruin what we have," I whispered. Looking up at her, I sighed. "I love you."

Bella shook her head as she pushed me off of her, and climbed off the bed. Digging into her suitcase, she pulled on a new pair of panties and a pair of pajama pants. I stood up and pulled my boxers and jeans back up, waiting for her to say something, anything. Bella finally sat down on the edge of the bed, and looked over at me.

"Edward, she's your mom," said Bella. "You shouldn't be so willing to lose your parents."

"She's a bitch," I argued.

"She is, but she's still your mom and-"

"No," I muttered, interrupting her. "I want you." Bella shook her head, looking away. I moved over and slid to the floor in front of her, taking her hands in mine. At least, she didn't pull them away. "Bella, please, don't leave me."

"I don't want to," she whispered. "But I can't ask you to pick me over them. I would give anything to have my dad and you are willing to just give yours up for me."

"I am." Sliding my arms around her waist, I pulled her off the bed so she that she was straddling my lap. "Bella, I pick you."

"You'll regret it."

"Never."

"You'll get tired of me."

"No, I won't." A simple truth, but the truth nonetheless.

Bella nestled herself into my arms, burying her face into my neck. "I do love you."

"I love you, too," I murmured. "Can I call you Baby now?"

Giggling, Bella pressed her lips to the side of my neck. "Yes."

"Baby, please, don't ever just leave like that. I was so worried."

"I couldn't stay there," she whispered. "Where I wasn't wanted."

"I wanted you. I'll always want you."


	12. Chapter 12

**BPOV-EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"Don't go," whined Edward, tightening his grip on my hips. I smiled, letting him pull me against his body. "I'll miss you too much."

"I have to," I giggled. "I'll miss you, too, baby, but I need the money."

Sighing, Edward released me, allowing me to wiggling out of his bed. I sat on the edge, looking over my shoulder at him. I hated leaving him, but Carmen had been gracious enough to find me some extra hours before the winter break, I needed every penny in order to make it until my loan money came through for the spring.

"You could come with me," I suggested, however the grimace on his face spoke for itself. "Didn't think so."

"Can I bring you dinner later?" he offered, trying to smooth everything over.

"Something cheap, okay?" He rolled his eyes, turning onto his back. "Edward..."

"No, it's fine," he waved me off, "I just don't like you worrying about money all the time."

"I can't help it," I huffed, shifting my eyes from his. "You shouldn't waste your money on me."

"I'm not going to argue with you again," he grumbled, climbing out of bed, slipping his boxers on. Turning, he placed his hands on his hips. "I'll bring you whatever you want, but I hate that you freak if I spend ten bucks on your dinner."

"I know," I muttered, dropping my eyes to the ground. We've had this conversation three times in the last week alone. Edward would grumble about me being stubborn, I'd call him an ass, then we'd usually have wild make-up sex.

Edward sat down next to me, weaving our fingers together. "I won't get you something crazy, but least me worry about how much I spend, deal?"

"Okay," I agreed, looking up at him. "I have to go."

"I love you," he smiled.

Blushing, I leaned in, kissing him. "I love you, too."

Somehow, I'm not quite sure how, I managed to leave him in his room, wearing only his boxers, devilish smile gracing his lips. He watched me the entire time I got dressed, making the sexiest little noises when I pulled my jeans back on, buttoned my shirt, brushed my hair. He made them on purpose, one way or another I would pay him back for each one. Leaving a lingering kiss on his lips, I left, fighting the urge to run back in, spending the day making love.

When I walked into the library, I found a frustrated Jasper, standing at the front desk, palms pressed down, scowling at a frazzled looking Mike Newton, an awkward senior majoring in feminine studies, sounded like he studied porn to me. Even though he'd been working at the library for two years, he knew nothing about how our system worked.

Jasper looked over as I came in, sighing in relief. "Thank God."

"Nice to see you, too," I laughed, stowing my bag under the counter. "What's going on?"

Mike opened his mouth to explain, but Jasper held his hand up. "I'm looking for History of Eastern Mythology by Barkley."

I nodded, walking around the counter. "It's on the second floor."

Glaring at Mike, Jasper followed me over to the stairs. "That guy's an idiot."

"He is," I agreed, "but he needs the job."

Jasper followed me over to the mythology section of the library, where I located the book he needed, slipping it into his hand. "You're a fucking lifesaver, Bella!" he gushed, hugging me.

I laughed, returning the hug. "You're welcome."

"You don't understand," he groaned, pulling back. "I need this book for my final paper. If I don't make at least a B, I'll lose my scholarship."

"You're on scholarship," I blurted out, throwing my hand to my mouth. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he snorted, plopping down at one of the tables. I slipped into the chair next to him. "Let me guess, you thought I was just another rich kid?"

"Well, yeah," I scoffed.

Jasper shook his head. "My dad owns a small hardware store, my mom works for a florist," he explained. "The only reason I'm even attending Berkeley is because I graduated top of my class and aced my SAT."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize," I muttered.

"Are you ashamed of your upbringing?" He cocked an eyebrow, I shook my head. "Neither am I, Bella. My parents managed to save up enough to help me pay for my monthly expenses, but I'm careful not to waste money. I work in my dad's shop during the summer, trying to do what I can."

I shook my head, placing my arms on the table. "My father had to stop working within months of getting sick." I paused, blinking back my tears. Jasper placed his hand on the back of my chair. "We had bills pouring in and no money to pay them." Looking away, I wiped a tear off my cheek. "His doctor gave me a job, answering his phones after hours. We arranged it so that his calls were forwarded to our house, so I could take care of my father, and still work."

"I'm sorry about your dad, Bella." Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder, I turned back to him. "Must have been hard to handle all of that alone, but you're not alone anymore. We're here, a bunch of misfits."

"I know," I sniffed. "I'm used to being the one taking care of everything, Jasper. I learned to balance our check book, work out a budget. I did everything, while my dad slowly died."

"But now, you can let us help you," he smiled, placing his hand on the side of my head. "Especially Edward. He loves you."

"I love him, too, but..."

"But?" he prompted.

"How do you handle his parents hating you?" I wondered, shifting my eyes to his. "They're horrible people."

"They weren't always." Jasper, leaning back in his seat, shook his head. "When I first met Edward, they were nice. Too nice, but the moment I started seeing Alice, things changed. I guess, they wanted better for her."

"Assholes," I quipped.

"They are," he agreed, smiling. "I love Alice, Bella. I won't let them tell me that I'm not good enough for her. She's worth fighting for. You have to ask yourself if Edward's worth the same fight." He stood up, pressing his lips to the top of my head. "I think he is."

"Me too." Jasper left, I headed back down to the front desk, started sorting through the book returns.

I'd been working at the front desk for four hours when Edward walked in, carrying two take out containers from our favorite chinese food place. Smiling, I pushed the stack of overdue notices out of the way, making room for the delicious food. Pulling a chair up next to me, he leaned in, kissing me.

"Hey," he murmured against my lips.

"Hi," I giggled, blushing. He kissed me once again before leaning back. "Everything smells so good."

"I had a sudden craving for Chinese," he laughed, pulling out at least six different containers.

"How many people are you feeding?" I blurted out. Edward hesitated for a split second before putting the last container down. "Sorry."

"I'm hungry, I thought you would be, too," he shrugged, trying to be casual but I knew him better. Reaching over, I placed my hand on his thigh.

"Baby, there's no way I can eat half of that," I laughed, "even if I'm starving, which I am."

"Oh," he muttered, sheepishly. Looking up at me, he smiled. "Guess, we'll have left overs."

"Yeah, guess so," I chortled.

Picking up a plastic spoon, I started eating part of the Almond Chicken, propping my feet up on Edward's legs. He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything while he picked up the white carton of Shrimp Broccoli. He was about halfway through his when he reached over, trying to snag a piece of my chicken, but I swatted his hand away.

"Get back, thief," I snickered.

"Baby, please, let me have some," he whined, falling back in his chair.

"No," I laughed, holding my container away from him. "It's all mine."

"You're being mean," he grumbled, pushing my feet out of his lap. I smiled, setting my container on the counter, leaning toward him.

"Are you sure I'm mean?" I purred. He nodded his head, inhaling sharply. Pulling my chair right up to his, I slid my hand up his chest, around his neck. He shivered. "Still mean?"

"Hmm," he hummed, breathing heavily.

Leaning up, I skimming my lip against his. Edward moaned, wrapping his arms around me, dragging me into his lap. He moved in to kiss me again, but I pulled back, bringing my lips down onto his jaw, nipping at his skin. His fingers dug into my back, sliding his hand down to my thigh. He crushed his lips down onto mine, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. This time I moaned, tugging on his hair.

"Oh, hot damn," gasped Emmett. I scrambled off of Edward's lap faster than I thought possible, finding him and Rose standing at the edge of the desk, smirks plastered on their faces. "Don't stop. It was just getting good."

"Look at how red her face is," Rose guffawed, leaning toward Emmett.

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms, snarling, "What do you want?"

"Um, let's see, we're in a library, so I'm going to take a guess, and say a book," Emmett smarted off.

Squashing the urge to reach across the desk, slamming his head down, I looked over at Rose. "What book?"

"The complete works of Shakespeare," she smiled.

"Shakespeare," snorted Emmett, leaning forward. "What a dork?"

Before I could argue with him, Edward stood up, popping him in the back of the head. "Bella likes Shakespeare, thinks he's a genius."

"Seriously?" he doubted, raising his eyes.

"Yeah," I shrugged. "He's brilliant."

"Okay." Emmett looked back at Edward. "Dude, that's fucked up. Your girl's a nerd."

"Fuck you, Emmett," I seethed, punching him on the arm.

He started whining about me being a bitch, but Rose and I ignored him, heading to the other side of the library in search of her book. It only took me a couple of minutes to find it. Pulling it off the shelf, I handed it to her. Hooking her arm in with mine, we headed back to Edward and Emmett, who were sitting behind the desk, feet propped up.

I walked over, pushing their feet down. "Other side," I ordered, gesturing for Emmett to move. "Now!"

"Why does he get to stay?" grumbled Emmett, stalking to the other side.

"Um, I love him" I scoffed, checking out the book to Rose.

"Do you love her?" Rose spoke directly to Edward, whose eyes popped open. "Well, do you? Or are you just toying with her heart? Because I will be your ass into the ground, Edward, if you hurt her."

Looking at me first, he turned, speaking to her. "Rose, I love Bella more than anything. I will not hurt her again. I never meant to hurt her before."

With a dangerous smile curving up on her lips, she leaned up, beckoning him with a single finger. Gulping, Edward leaned forward. Rose grabbed his shirt, pulling him a millimeter away from her. "I really hope you never hurt her. Bella's my sister now, nobody hurts my sister and gets away with it. Got it?"

Nodding furiously, Edward stammered, "Yes."

"Good," she smirked, pushing him backward. Slipping her hand into Emmett's she pulled him to the door. "Let's go, baby. Call me, Bella."

Edward stood there, mouth hanging open as we watched the two of them leave, Emmett's roaring laughter trailing behind them. Turning to me, he ran his hand through his hair. "It doesn't make me less of a man if I admit to being terrified of her, does it?"

"No," I laughed, slipping my arms around his waist. "Just don't piss her off, you'll be okay."

"No pressure or anything," he muttered. I laughed, leaning up on my toes, kissing him, hoping that Rose would never need to kick his ass.

**PRESENT DAY**

I turned, looking up at the clock over the door to my classroom. Half pasted noon, we were still stuck at the hands of a madman. Dwyer sat on the cabinet, leaning back against my bulletin board. I'd spent a solid week making it perfect, taking the time on our first day of school to take a picture of each one, placing them on under their names. At the end of the school year, I would take the pictures down, adding them into a photo book I made just for the year. This years would be my third, if we made it out of here anyway.

My stomach grumbled. In my angry rush to leave this morning, I hadn't eaten breakfast. Looking over at my kids, I knew they had to be starving, as well. They were used to eating lunch at eleven, but they wouldn't whine about it. My kids were good kids, who knew when it was time to be quiet. Angela shifted on the floor, bringing her hand up to her belly. I had to get her out of here.

"We need food," I sighed, shifting my gaze over to Dwyer. He cocked his eyebrow at me, smirk playing on his lips.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Why should I get you food?"

"Because they," gesturing to the kids, "need to eat."

"Not a one of them look like they are starving," he scoffed, turning to them. "Especially that fat lady."

Gritting my teeth together, I bit out, "She's pregnant, you ass."

"Whatever." Turning back to me, he shrugged his shoulders. "She's still fat."

Sliding up the wall, I prepared to fight once again. Dwyer's smirk grew as he stood up, facing me like the cocky ass bastard that he was. "You should let them all go, but since you've made it clear you aren't going to do that, the least you could do is bring them in some food to eat!"

Dwyer brought his hand up, resting his gun along his cheek. Inwardly, I hoped that he had a twitchy trigger finger and shot himself, but I knew that would never happen. Chuckling, he said, "I'll make you a deal. I'll see about getting the kids some food, but only if you do something for me."

"What?" I asked, cautiously.

Pressing his lips together, he came over to me, pushing me into the wall behind me, gun jabbed into my side and leaning in as close as he could. "Kiss me."

"What?" I screeched, pushing him away from me. "NO!"

"Then no food," he smirked. Closing my eyes, I shook my head.

"Fine," I muttered, looking him in the eye. "But we order the food first, I will not kiss you until it's here."

"Bella, no!" gasped Angela, struggling to stand up. I rushed over, pushing her back down. "Don't do that."

"Ang, it's okay," I whispered. "Just stay calm, okay. We don't want that baby coming early, do we?"

"Bella," she whimpered.

"I know," I frowned, bringing my hand up to her face, wiping away a tear. Standing up, I looked back at Dwyer. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," he smiled, pulling my cell phone out of his back pocket, tossing it at me. "Call that lover boy of yours and get us something good."

My hands shook as I opened the phone, finding Edward's number and hit talk. Dwyer cleared his throat, I reluctantly put the phone onto speaker. I moved back over, sitting back down on the floor under my white board, pulling my knees up as much as I could considering how sore my body. The phone had barely rang once when Edward answer.

"Baby?"

"Hey," I murmured, feeling my tears building.

"Are you okay?" he asked, quietly.

"I'm fine," I lied, knowing he wouldn't believe me anyway. Edward could read me like a book. Dwyer cleared his throat and I closed my eyes. "Um, listen, the kids are getting hungry and could really use some food."

"Okay," replied Edward, and in my mind, I could see him running his hand through his hair. He didn't even realize he did it, and I love it. I would spend hours running my fingers through his copper locks. "Let me see what I can get for you. Anything particular?"

"Maybe some fruit," I suggested. "And, um, sandwiches. Oh, bring us water, too."

"Okay, I'll call you right back," he muttered. "Baby..."

"Me too," I wept, knowing the three little words sitting on the edge of his tongue. "For as long as I can remember."

"Soon," he whispered, hanging up. Dropping the phone on the floor, I leaned forward, burying my face in my knees and cried. I wanted Edward.

"You think that boy loves you?" smirked Dwyer. I lifted my tear filled eyes up to his. "Why would he love a whore like you?"

He laughed, I turned away. Ten minutes passed before Edward called back. Dwyer snatched the phone out of my hand, refusing to let me talk to him. He taunted Edward, calling me every name in the book, then making up a few. Edward cursed him, vowing to see him dead. The kids cried, which only spurred Dwyer on more. Slamming the phone shut, he agreed to let someone bring the food.

Dwyer dragged me up, positioning my body in front of his just before the door to the classroom opened. My eyes widened when Jasper came in, carrying a large box of food and water. Meeting my eyes, he tried to silently reassure me that everything was okay, but we both knew nothing was okay.

"Set the box down and get the fuck out," snapped Dwyer, pressing the tip of his gun into my throat. Clamping my lips together, I struggled not to cry out. I wanted Jasper to save us, to take me to Edward, but he couldn't, not yet.

Instead, Jasper put the box down, backing up to the door. Shifting his eyes back to mine, he whispered, "Misfits, remember?"

Choking on each word, I cried, "Misfits."

Pushing open the door, Jasper left us. Dwyer slammed me against the wall, moving his hand to around my throat. "I got you your food, now kiss me."

"Not until the kids are eating," I hissed, clawing at his skin.

Dwyer growled, throwing me the ground. Biting back the pain, I scrambled over to the box, carrying it over to the kids. My hands shook, tears swimming in my eyes as I started grabbing sandwiches. A tiny hand shot out, covering mine. Looking up, I saw Steven on his knees next to me, tears pouring down his little face.

"I'll help you, Mrs. Cullen," he whimpered, sniffing.

"Thank you, Steven." I reached up, wiping his face free of tears.

Together, we handed out the sandwiches, adding a few pieces of the fruit, keeping some back in case they got hungry later. Who knew how long we'd be stuck in here. Angela tried to refuse the food, but Steven insisted, she couldn't say no to him. Taking it in her hands, she thanked him. He sat next to her, nibbling on his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"They've got their food," groused Dwyer, grabbing my arm, pulling me away from them. "Now you have to uphold your part of the deal."

Bile rose in my throat when he pushed me against the white board, gun pressed into my ribs, hand wrapped around my throat. Time slowed down the closer his lips came to mine, parting when they touched. Without warning, he shoved his tongue into my mouth. Clamping my teeth down, I bit him, pushing him off of me.

Staggering for a moment, her reared back, hitting me across the face with his gun. Screaming, I crumbled to the ground, tasting the blood in my mouth. "You stupid cunt," he raged, kicking me in the side. Curling up, I tried to protect myself from his angry blows. "You'll pay for that, mark my words, you fucking whore."

One more kick, he stumbled back, sitting on the cabinet again. I stayed on the floor, arms wrapped around my body, letting my tears fall silently.


	13. Chapter 13

**EPOV-PRESENT**

The noise around me made my head hurt, all I wanted was for them to all just shut the fuck up and let me think. The only people not yapping in my ear were Ben, Jasper, and Alice, but, then, we were all in the same boat. People we loved more than anything in this world were sitting fifty yards from us at the hands of a madman, and right now, there's nothing we could do about it. Sighing, I ran my hand over my face, trying to block out all the fucking noise.

"Why can't they shut the fuck up?" muttered Ben.

Snorting, I looked over at him, "I wish I knew, man."

"Today's supposed to be her last day here," commented Ben, turning toward me. "Angela said that it'd gotten too hard to work and Bella convinced her that she'd be able to handle the last few weeks of school on her own, that the baby is more important than a paycheck."

"Sounds like something Bella would say," I laughed, though nothing was funny. "She worries a lot about Ang and the baby."

"Me too," admitted Ben. "If something happens..." Letting his words die, he brought his hand up over his mouth, trying to get some control.

"I know, Ben. Me too." I placed my hand on his shoulder, offering all I could, but my heart and soul was locked away inside that room. While I didn't tell Ben, I knew Bella would give her life to protect each and every one of her students, Ang, and their baby. I prayed it wouldn't come to her having to make that sacrifice.

My cell phone rang, I ripped it out of my pocket, slamming it against my ear, knowing it was Bella. "Baby?"

"Hey," she whispered, each word filled with so much pain.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I knew she lied, always trying to be stronger than she needed to be. "Um, listen, the kids are getting hungry and could really use some food."

"Okay," I replied, running my hand through my hair. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, knowing how much Bella loved running her fingers through my hair. We'd been fighting so much lately, I hadn't felt her touch in weeks. "Let me see what I can get for you. Anything particular?"

"Maybe some fruit," she murmured. "And, um, sandwiches. Oh, bring us water, too."

"Okay, I'll call you right back," I muttered. "Baby..." I wanted to tell her that I loved her, I've always loved her and I would always love her, even when I acted like a selfish prick, but I couldn't. Not like this, she deserved better from me.

"Me too," she wept. "For as long as I can remember."

"Soon," I managed to get out before hanging up.

Barely able to keep my legs under me, I closed my phone, gripping it so tight that my fingers ached. Reaching over, Jasper pried my fingers off my phone, handing it to Alice. I looked up at him, helpless and afraid. "What do they need?" Jasper wondered, trying to keep me on track.

"Food, and water," I gritted out, closing my eyes. "The kids are hungry."

"Okay," he murmured. "I'll take care of it."

Jasper headed over to make the arrangements to get some food and water brought in for them. Alice slipped her hand into mine, trying to support me the only way she could. Although I was grateful that she came to us, ready to hold our hands and do what she could, all I wanted was my Bella. I needed her.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" bellowed Jasper. "We're sending food in, I don't give a rats ass what you think."

I snapped my head over, finding Jasper glaring at one of the members of the swat team. Motherfuckers. "There are children in there, and they need food and water," he ranted.

"Policy-"

"Fuck your policy," I snarled, dropping my sister's hand and joining Jasper. "There are innocent children in there. We will do everything and anything we can to make this ordeal easier for them. Why don't you do your job and find a way to take this motherfucker out so we can all go home!"

Glaring at me, the guy turned and stalked away, muttering about us detectives leaving them to do the hard work. Jasper managed to hold me back before I could rip his head off, but getting my ass thrown in jail wouldn't help anything. Shoving me back into my sister's arms, Jasper arranged for the food, giving me a look that clearly told me that not to argue with him. He'd be the one taking it in, and I had to live with it, no matter how I felt.

Pulling my phone out of Alice's hand, I called Bella back. "Hello, lover boy," sang Dwyer. I clenched my teeth together.

"Let me talk to Bella," I gritted.

"I'm afraid she's...busy," he laughed. "Your woman is a fantastic whore. She really knows how to use that pretty little mouth of hers. Of course, I'm sure you know all about that, don't you, Eddie."

"Don't fucking talk about her like that," I snarled, causing everyone to look at me. I didn't care, let them stare.

"So fucking sensitive," he sighed. "Tell me, Eddie, how do you let her out of her cage? Knowing how well she sucks cock, I'd never let her out. She'd be at my beck and call all fucking day, just like a good bitch should be."

"I'm going to enjoy killing you," I muttered, just loud enough him to hear me through the phone.

Dark, rumbling laughter came trickling through the phone, "Boy, I'm looking forward to our meeting. That way, you can watch me fuck your whore like she deserves. Now, bring these little bastards their shit, I'm getting tired of listening them whine."

Before I could respond, Dwyer hung up on me. Biting back every fowl word I could think of, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and watched Jasper walk the fifty-yards to Bella's classroom. With a look back at me, he opened the door, letting the two officers next to him, cover him when he stepped into the room.  
Turning into me, Alice buried her face on my chest, stifling the sob bubbling to her throat. Watching the love of her life walk into that room by his own choice had to be almost as hard as knowing that mine needed me and I couldn't do anything about it, not until I made sure she and the kids would be safe. I owed it to her to take care of them, too.

After a couple of long, painfully slow minutes, Jasper came out. He looked up at me, face full of pain and heartache. Shuffling up to where we were waiting, he brought his hand up, running it through his hair, blinking back the tears I could see swimming in his eyes.

"Is Ang okay?" Ben's words coming out thick.

"She's fine," muttered Jasper, looking right at me and I knew. "Edward."

"How bad?" I gritted, feeling my heart race in my chest. Jasper closed his eyes, shaking his head. "The truth, Jas."

Opening his eyes, he lifted his head, meeting my critical stare. "Bad," he confirmed. "Some bruising on her face, and from what I could see some on her arms and legs, too."

Alice slipped her arms around Jasper. I brought my hands up to my face, covering my mouth with the palm of my hand, trying my hardest to keep the bile from coming out. He'd put his hands on her, hurt her, and all I had done so far was stand out here, sitting on my ass. Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off, walking away from him, Alice, and Ben.

I'm not sure how long I stood staring at the red door that kept my Bella from me, when I felt a heavy hand fall onto my shoulder. Looking over, I saw Emmett standing next to me, eyes locked on the same door I'd been watching. Shaking his head, he sighed, " I know, man, I know." He looked down at me. "She's a fighter."

"She is," I admitted, blinking back my tears.

"Bella's a fighter," was all he said, looking back at her door. Nodding my head, I turned back to the door, hoping that she'd be able to keep fighting.

**SEVEN YARS AGO**

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," I yelled, crumpling the notice from Berkeley in my hand, and storming out of my bedroom. Emmett sat on the couch, staring at a similar letter, jaw clenched tight, and nostrils flaring. Never a good sign. "You got one, too."

"Yep," he gritted, placing his letter on the table. He seemed a little too calm, which scared me. "I'm sure Ali's gotten one, too, don't you think?"

"Yes," I muttered. "How can they do this do us?"

Emmett looked up at me. "I don't know, Bro, but they did. So now, we need to figure out what we're going to do."

"We'd better go talk to Ali."

Nodding, Emmett picked up his letter, and followed me out of our apartment. The last seven months had been a challenge, but we'd managed to get through them. Carlisle and Esme had called nearly non-stop for the first two months, unable to understand that until they realized they'd been a couple of assholes to all of us, mostly Bella, that we didn't want anything to do with them. It wasn't like we didn't try, either.

Bella insisted that Emmett, Alice, and I needed to fly home in February and talk with them, try to work it out. It bothered her that we were so ready to give up our relationships with our parents. While I didn't want to go, I did, because it was important to her. We never should have listened to her. All our parents did the entire time we were there, was go on and on about how Jasper and Bella weren't good enough for us. Emmett had the good sense not to mention Rose to them, but we all knew they'd feel the same way about her. Esme seemed to blame Bella for everything, and kept going on about how she'd ruined our family. After a day of listening to it, fighting with them, I left, but this time for good.

I never told Bella why I came back early, but I think she knew. She never pushed us again, respecting our choice to spend the summer here, working instead of going back to Chicago. Emmett, Jasper, and I found a cheap apartment in the same building as Rose. Since Alice and Bella were moving in with her, it made sense. Even though Carlisle and Esme hadn't been happy with us staying here, I never thought they'd go this far, but with the letter from the school in my hand, I had my proof. My parents were coldhearted bastards, who refused to pay for our school anymore.

Emmett had barely knocked on the door to the girls' apartment when Rose opened the door, frowning. Based on the sobbing coming from inside the room, Alice had read her letter, too. "Come on in," sighed Rose, stepping out of the way.

I walked right past her, while Emmett slipped his arms around her waist, burying his face in his neck. Being a senior this fall, he'd been ready to get through the year and finally put his degree to work for him, but now, he'd have to figure out how to pay for school on his own. Bella had Alice in her arms, rubbing her back while Jasper held the letter from the school.

Looking over at me, Bella frowned. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

"Me too," I muttered. Shifting Alice into Jasper's arms, Bella came over to me, slipping her arms around my waist. I laid my head on top of hers, feeling like someone had sucker punched me.

"How could they do this?" Alice hiccupped, wiping her face clean of tears.

"Why don't we find out," muttered Emmett, plopping down on the couch. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Carlisle and Esme, putting the phone on speaker. I sat on the floor with Bella in my lap, arms wrapped around her. I needed to hold her, always hold her.

"Cullen residence," answered Esme, slurring through each word. I bit back a snort. Barely after noon in Chicago, and she's already drinking. Just peachy.

"Mother," gritted Emmett. "Where's Dad?"

"In his office," she giggled. "Working. Always working."

"Go get him," rolling his eyes, Emmett shook his head. "We need to talk to you both."

Through the phone, we could hear Esme stumble through the house to my father's office. Knocking on the door, we heard him yell at her to leave him alone, but she explained that Emmett was on the phone. With a click, my father joined the conversation.

"Emmett," he spoke formally.

"Dad, we got letters from school saying that you didn't pay our tuition for the fall. Can you explain?"

"I didn't pay them," he admitted. "I don't see why I should pay for you three to ruin your lives."

"We're not ruining our lives," sighed Emmett. "Just because we aren't following in your footsteps, doesn't make our pursuits worthless."

"None of you have any idea what the real world is like, how hard it is to work your asses off to get ahead in the world," grumbled Carlisle. "All we want is for you to think about your futures and stop thinking with your hormones. What kind of future can you have with someone like Bella?" Bella turned, burying her face in my chest. "You don't even see how she's wormed her way into your lives."

"Dad," Emmett spoke again before I could say anything, "Bella's not the problem here. You and mom are the problem. You want to lecture us about hard work? Bella's working her ass off to pay for school, to do it on her own with no help from anyone. So is Jasper." Looking over at Rose, he smiled. "Just like my Rose is."

"Rose?" Carlisle snapped. "Who the hell is Rose?"

"The woman I'm gonna marry," Emmett replied. Rose ducked her head, smiling, and I knew that one day he would marry her.

"Oh, God, Emmett, I thought at least you would be the one to keep your dick in your pants," scoffed Carlisle. "Let me guess? She's some poor, pathetic whore, who you met at some strip club."

Rose flinched. "Fuck you, Dad," spat Emmett. "You're such a fucking prick, you know that?"

"Maybe I am, but at least I didn't settle for the first piece of ass that shook it's self at me," he snarked. "Your mother-"

"Is a drunk bitch," I hissed.

"Edward, she's your mother," defended Carlisle. I heard Esme weeping on the line, but I didn't care. Not anymore. "You will not talk about her like that."

"Then she should know us better than to think we'd ever put up with the way you two are talking about Bella and Rose, or Jas, for that matter. Most parents want their kids to be happy, but not you. All you care about is yourselves. I'm done with you both. As far as I'm concerned, you're dead to me."

Both my parents gasped, calling out for me, but I ignored them. Standing up, Bella and I headed into her bedroom, shutting the door behind us. I laid down on her bed, covering my face with my arms. Settling on the end of the bed, I knew she watched me, waiting for me to say something, anything, but I didn't know what to say. My parents crossed a line, and it had nothing to do with the money.

"Baby, you're going to pull all your hair out," murmured Bella, crawling across her bed, pulling my hands out of my hair. I smiled, slipping my arms around her waist, pulling her against me.

"I'm sorry about what he said."

"Not your fault," she shook her head.

"Bella," I started.

"Don't," she whispered, laying her forehead down on mine, tears swimming in her eyes. "Can't expect them to just start liking me, right?"

"I guess not, but I hate they hurt you again."

"I'm a big girl, Edward," she sighed, rolling onto the bed next to me. "I can handle it, but what are you going to do now? The semester starts next week."

"I don't know," I admitted. "Try to apply for an emergency loan, I guess, or find a job and start saving for the next semester. I honestly don't know."

"If I could help, I would," she murmured, "but I'm barely going to have enough to pay my part of the rent once I pay for books and tuition."

"I wouldn't let you anyway," I chuckled. "It's your money, and maybe it's time for me to start paying my own way. I'll figure it out, somehow."

"I love you," she smiled, bringing her hand up to my face.

"I love you more, baby," I whispered, kissing her, and somehow, I'd make our love be enough for both of us.


	14. Chapter 14

**BPOV-SEVEN YEARS AGO**

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?" Alice's voice carried through our small apartment, clear through my bedroom door.

Slamming my Chemistry book shut, I hurried out of my room to see what her problem was. Knowing her the way I did, I knew it had to be serious. Alice didn't drop the f-bomb for just anything. When I walked into the living room, I found her, Jasper, and Edward in a deadly stare down. She was glaring at them while pacing back and forth, fists clenched so tight, her knuckles had turned white. Edward looked up at me, color draining from his face. My heart stopped, knowing that whatever was going through his head couldn't be good, not based on the look of pure fear etched on his face.

"How can you even think of doing this, Jas?" she cried out, grabbing onto the front of his shirt. "We had plans, and now you are ruining everything!"

Jasper reached up, covering her hands with his. "Darlin, calm down," he tried soothing her. "Nothing's ruined."

"I will not calm down," she hissed, pushing him away.

"What the hell is going on here?" I snapped, looking right at Edward. He dropped his eyes from me, fear crept into my heart. "Edward?"

"Tell her, Edward," sneered Alice, moving over to stand next to me. "Tell her how you're quitting school like a goddamn loser."

"Alice," groused Jasper, placing his hands on his hips. "You're overreacting."

Before she could say anything else, the front door to the apartment opened. Emmett and Rose came in, laughing with their arms wrapped around each other. They'd become almost inseparable over the last few weeks, and we all knew they'd fallen in love with each other. The moment they saw the four of us in a standoff, their laughter died out in their throats. While they were looking between all of us, my focus was completely on Edward, who refused to meet my eyes.

"What's going on?" inquired Emmett.

"They," Alice started, pointing to Jasper and Edward, "decided that it would be a good idea to drop out of school and apply to the goddamn police academy."

The apartment was deadly silent as Alice's words hung in the air. Bringing my hand up to my throat, I tried to stop myself from screaming. "Edward?" I whispered, hearing the tremor in my own voice. With a frown, he looked up at me. "Is that true?"

He hesitated for a split second and I knew. "Yes," he admitted. Wrapping my arms around myself, I turned, walking down the short hallway to my bedroom. "Bella, wait!"

Edward followed me into my bedroom, shutting the door behind him. From the living room, I could hear Alice screaming at Jasper, accusing him of ruining everything they had planned, while Emmett tried to calm her down. I sat on the edge of my bed, letting the one word Edward had spoken play over and over inside my head. It felt like my world had fallen apart again.

"Baby," he pleaded, falling to his knees in front of me. He reached for my hands, but I pulled away, unsure I could think rationally with him touching me. "Bella."

"When?" I looked up at him, my eyes swimming with tears. "When did you decide to do this?"

"Officially, after the phone call with my parents," he answered. I nodded, remembering the conversation from three weeks ago. "But I've been thinking about this since last semester."

"And you didn't think you should talk it over with me?" I wanted to hide the hurt in my voice, but I knew he could hear it.

"I was afraid," he muttered, with a heavy sigh. Leaning back on his feet, he placed his hands on his thighs.

"Afraid of what?" I gasped. "You made this huge decision without even mentioning that you were thinking about leaving school. How could you not at least tell me?"

"I thought..." He shook his head, swallowing against the lump in his throat. "I thought you'd leave me."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. "You have such little faith in us," I grumbled.

"You left me once," he countered. I flinched, thinking of those few days last year. "Baby, I'm sorry."

"No, you're right," I admitted. "I did leave, because I didn't want you to give up what little relationship you had with your...parents, but you told me that you and I were in this together. Last time I checked, we didn't go off making decisions about our future without at least mentioning them to the other, Edward."

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this, but, baby, this feels right to me. I finally feel like I've found what I am supposed to do with my life."

Sighing, I stood up and walked around the room. Alice's ranting had stopped, and I didn't hear any dishes being broken, so I had to assume that everything between her and Jasper was okay, at least for the moment. Looking back at Edward, I shook my head. I knew first hand the demands of the job. More often than I could count, my father had me out of bed at three in the morning, chasing down one call after another. He refused to leave me with a sitter, knowing how hard it was for me to trust anyone. Bringing my hand up to my chest, I pushed back the ache that always came when I thought about my father. Even after sixteen months of grieving, the pain in my heart was still strong.

"Bella, please talk to me," pleaded Edward, sliding up and sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I don't know what to say," I replied. "Being a cop is a lot of work, Edward. Hard work."

"And you don't think I can do it?" he groused, standing up. "You think I'm too fucking lazy to put in the time and effort into doing this? Is that what you think? Because, Bella, I'm not another of those rich kids, who lives off mom and dad. I thought you knew me better than that."  
"No," I exclaimed. "I just want to make sure you've really thought about what you are giving up. Edward, your college education-"

Holding his hand up, he interrupted me, "That I can't pay for." Running his hands through his hair, he walked up to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Bella, in my heart I know that being a cop is where my future is leading me, but I need your support. I need to know that you're going to support me every step of the way, just like I am with you."

"What if you get hurt?" I whimpered, grabbing the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to me. "Baby, I can't lose you, too. Not again."

"You will never lose me, Bella, I promise," he whispered.

"You can't make me that promise," I cried. Sliding his hands down from my shoulders to my arms, he pulled me flush with his body, wrapping his arm around me.

"I can promise you, and I am," he spoke quietly.

Shaking my head, I rested my head on his chest. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," he murmured, kissing the top of my head. "Other than you, this is the only thing in my life that I'm sure about."

"Edward."

"I know, baby, but together, we can do anything, right?" he wondered, tilting my head up to look at him.

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I prayed he was right. "I hope so, Edward. I really hope so."

Leaning down, he captured my lips with his. Like always when he kisses me, the moment his lips touched mine, I felt my heart begin to race in my chest. Pushing me backwards, Edward pinned me against the wall, letting his hand slid down to my hip, rubbing his hard body against mine. I wanted him, all of him, but before I could make my move, we heard a loud squeal just seconds before my bedroom door got thrown open.

Snapping our eyes over, we found Alice vibrating with excitement in the doorway. "What the fuck, Al?" growled Edward, stepping away from me.

"Jas and I are getting married!" she squeaked, waving her hand in the air.

"Yeah, we know," I huffed. "You've been engaged for over a year already. Not really news, sweetpea."

"No, no, no, you don't understand," she giggled, as Jasper came in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, a goofy smile stretched across his face. "We're getting married now. As soon as possible."

**PRESENT DAY**

Shifting on the floor, I tried to stifle the urge to wince. My body ached, screaming in protest from the beating I'd received. Looking from Dwyer over to my kids, I shook my head. I'd take every blow for them, if that meant keeping them safe. While none of them had closed their eyes and gone to sleep, they were being unusually still and quiet. Angela had rolled onto the floor, laying on her left side, keeping Steven tucked close to her.

"Ang, are you okay?" Bringing my hand up to my throat, I swallowed against the soreness. She looked over at me, frowning. "Ang?"

"I'm okay," she lied. We both knew it.

My eyes hardened when I looked over at Dwyer, who had shifted so that he was leaning against the wall, knees bent up in front of him. His gun, which he so proudly waved around, rested on his knees, pointed right at me. His eyes were closed, a bored look over his face, but his finger was still wrapped around the trigger. I knew he wouldn't hesitate to shot me , or them.

"You need to let her go." I slid up the wall once more, prepared to fight him again to get my way.

"Bella," hissed Angela. "I'm fine."

Ignoring her, I set my jaw. "She needs to leave this room. They all need to leave this room."

"No," he replied,waving his gun in the air. "They aren't going anywhere, including the fat one."

"She's pregnant you, stupid asshole," I growled, hearing the child gasp when I cursed. "All this stress is not good for her or the baby. Now, if you have any kind of conscience at all, you'll let her and the kids go."

Turning on the counter, Dwyer sat his feet on the floor. "You're one stupid bitch," he muttered, shaking his head. "But I'll make you a deal. You pick two of these little brats to stay here with you, and I'll let the rest go."

"What?" I screeched, looking at my kids. "There's no way I can pick any of them. They all need to leave. They're innocent."

"Then I guess they're all staying," he smirked, crossing his feet in front of him.

Shaking my head, I looked back over at the kids, regret pouring off of me. There was no way I could pick two of them to stay in here with me. With tears flooding my eyes, I slid back to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees, wishing and praying I could do more. How could I damn two of them while allowing the rest to go free? I wouldn't be any better than him if I made that decision.

"I'll stay," whispered Steven, standing up. Angela reached for him, but he stepped out of her reach and walked over to me. "I'll stay with you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, Steven," I murmured, hugging him close to me. "You're very brave, buddy, but I can't ask you to stay."

"You didn't ask," he whispered.

"I'll stay, too, Mrs. Cullen," announced Kaitlin, a mousy little girl with waist length blood hair and bright blue eyes. Wiggling her way out from between everyone, she crossed the room, sitting down next to me. "I can be strong and I won't cry anymore."

"Sweetie, it's not about you being strong," I explained. "I don't want any of you to stay in here."

"I won't leave you, Mrs. Cullen," she insisted, wrapping her arms around my body. "I won't!"

"Well, now that we've settled everything," laughed Dwyer, standing up. "I guess you get your way."

Scrambling back up to my feet, I left the children on the floor. "No," I raged, pointing down to them. "They get to leave, too. Do you hear me?" I yelled. "They get to leave, too!"

Tilting his head to the side, he smiled. "No, they stay and the rest leave."

"No." I glared at him, hoping against hope.

Sighing, he crossed the room, jabbing his gun into my chest. Steven and Kaitlin screamed, but I stood strong, not letting him push me. I'd had enough of him already. "You listen to me, you little bitch. If you want the fat chick and the rest of the little fuckers to walk out of here without ending up in a body bag, then you will shut your fucking mouth."

"All the children leave," I replied, hearing the tremor in each word. "And I'll do whatever you want me to, but only if all the children, and Mrs. Weber, leave this room safely."

Shifting the gun up under my chin, he forced my head back, leaning down so that his lips were almost on mine. "You're going to regret making this deal," he taunted me, slipping his arm around my body. Spinning my body around, he pulled me against him, keeping his gun tucked up under my chin. "Everyone out, now," he ordered, stumbling back a few steps.

All the children, but Steven and Kaitlin, scrambled to their feet, rushing for the door. They sat against the wall, fear and terror oozing off of them. Managing to stand, Angela placed one hand on her belly and crossed the room, holding her free hand out to both of them. "Come on," she begged, tears pouring from her face. Looking from her to me, they both reached out, taking her hand. She looked over her shoulder at me. "Bella."

"I know," I sobbed. "Tell him I love him."

"LEAVE!" bellowed Dwyer, cocking the gun.

Screaming the kids threw open the door, running outside to safety. The moment the door closed again, Dwyer threw me into the floor, moving over to make sure the police didn't come rushing in. Curling myself up, I prayed they would, ending this for good.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Could you have picked two kids to stay with you? I don't think I could have. How do you explain that to any of their parents? It would have been the hardest decision a teacher, a person like Bella, would have ever had to make. **


	15. Chapter 15

**EPOV-PRESENT**

Gripping the back of my neck, I rubbed hard, trying to work out the dull ache that had began to radiate. The afternoon had passed in a slow, agonizing pace, Bella and her kids were still locked inside that room with that son of a bitch. Glancing over at Captain James McAvoy, I felt my expression harden. Swat had been pussyfooting around for the last few hours, trying to figure out the best way to get inside. He wanted to bust in lock, stock, and barrel, ignoring the fact that there were kids inside that classroom, not to mention Bella and Angela. Looking over at me, he smirked.

"Crazy bastard," I muttered, shifting my eyes away from him.

"That he is," agreed Jasper.

For several minutes, we didn't say anything. Alice and Ben had settle on a couple of the swings, waiting for the showdown to end. All I could think about was how pissed Bella had been with me this morning, the hurt and anger in her eyes when she yelled for me not loving her anymore. The anguish when I didn't deny it. Truth be told, I knew it would hurt her so I stood there and let her think I didn't want her, need her, yearn for her. I never stopped, I'd always love her. She's my life, my soul, my everything.

My cell phone reverberated from my back pocket, pulling me out of the memories haunting me. I flipped it open, relief flooding over me when I saw the name flash across the small screen. "Rose," I breathed.

"Is she okay? Have you talked to her? I never should have agree to this trip. She needed me, but she told me to go anyway. I knew you were fucking things up and my gut told me to stay. Why the fuck aren't you in there getting her ass out? Edward? Edward? I swear to fuck, Edward, I will kick your ass if you hung up on me," she blabbered.

"Rose," I sighed. "She's hanging in there. Yes, I've talked to her. We're trying to figure a way to get her and the kids out safely, but this asshole is dangerous. He's proven that already."

"Oh, Edward, I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm just so worried about her. I'm loading on the plane now. I love you."

"I love you, too," I choked out. "Be safe, please."

"I promise," she whispered. "Edward...She's gonna be okay, I know it."

"Hope you're right, Rose," I muttered, blinking back my tears. "God, I hope you're right."

"Faith, Edward. Bella has faith in you, try having some in her, too."

Before I could respond, she hung up. I knew she was right. Bella always had more faith in me, in us, than I did. Maybe that's why I had been pushing her way so much lately. Shaking my head, I stowed my phone back into my pocket. Lifting my eyes back over to her classroom door, I ran my hands through my hair, trying to stop the rampage of curses begging to be released. I had to be strong for her, for my Bella. She deserved the best from me, and I hadn't been giving her my best.

"Everyone hold!' roared Captain Davis, holding a hand up.

The door to Bella's classroom swung open, and her kids came running out, screaming and crying for their mommies and daddies. Angela followed the last of the kids out of the room, arms cradling her expanding belly. Ben sprinted over to her, scooping her in his arms, and I waited. But instead of following everyone else out, the door to Bella's classroom shut, leaving her inside. Inside with that monster.

"No," I yelled, barely taking a step toward the door before Jasper had me pinned to the ground. "NO! BELLA! GET THE FUCK OFF ME! BELLA!"

"Edward, stop," ordered Jasper, holding me down.

"She's still in there," I growled, throwing him off of me. Springing to my feet, I managed five more steps, before he was on me again, this time with Ben's help. "Let me go."

"You're going to get her killed," seethed Ben.

"Edward, stop," cried Angela, dropping to the ground next to us. "She told me to tell you something."

"What?" I begged.

"That she loves you," she wept, taking my hand in hers. "She's trying to be strong for you. Prove you deserve her strength."

"Angie," I sobbed, rolling and placing my head on her lap. "I can't lose her, not now."

"You won't," she whimpered. "She's not giving up on you, don't you dare give up on her."

"Mr. Edward." I looked up, finding a little dark haired boy standing next to Angela.

"Steven," yelled his parents, rushing through the crowd to get to him.

"Mr. Edward, you have to save Mrs. Cullen," he pleaded as he parents grabbed his shoulders, trying to pull him away from us. "Please, you have to save her. She's letting him hurt her for us."

"What are you talking about?" I muttered, climbing onto my knees. His mom and dad were staring at him with wide eyes.

"The bad man said two of us had to stay, but Mrs. Cullen said none of us were staying with her, even when me and Kaitlin," pointing to a little blond haired girl," said we would. She told the bad man she'd do whatever he wanted, but he had to let us all go. Mr. Edward, he's a really mean, you have to save her," fretted Steven. "Please, Mr. Edward."

Reaching out and pulling him into my arms,. I closed my eyes, nodding through the torrent of tears falling down my face. "I promise, Steven. I'll save her."

"Come on, Steven," whispered his mother, Maureen, picking him up. Steven wrapped his arms around her neck, burying his face, and began to cry. Falling forward onto the ground, I screamed, knowing Bella was in even more danger now that she was all alone.

**SEVEN YEAR AGO**

I stared at my little sister and best friend for two solid minutes, letting her words hang in the air. They were getting married now, as soon as possible. Taking a deep breath, I clamped my lips together, fighting the urge to snap Jasper's neck for rushing this, or threaten to beat his ass if he even thinks something that hurts her, not that I hadn't already made that clear enough to him. The moment he told me about his intentions to ask my sister on a date, I made sure he knew nobody hurts her and goes away without a permanent limp.

Bella elbowed me in the ribs, causing me to wince, and gestured toward Alice, who was staring at me expectantly. Pulling up a fake smile, I gritted out, "That's great."

"Edward, don't be an ass," whined Alice, grabbing the front of my shirt.

"I'm not," I lied, thinking it was a bit ironic of her, seeing as she threw a little tantrum over me and Jasper deciding to become cops, but I let it go. "I said it's great, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but it came out sounding like that's great, but I'm not happy about my baby sister finally getting her sex on," smirked Alice. Emmett and I cringed, shuddering. "Oh for fuck sake, you two, it's not like you didn't know Jas and I fuck!"

"Mary Alice," I grumbled, swallowing the bile in my throat. "We've had this discussion."

"Need to bleach my brain," muttered Emmett, walking out of Bella's room. Alice burst out laughing, following him out.

Jasper hung his head. "Dude, I've told her not to goad you, but you make it so fucking easy," he sighed. Bella burying her face in my shoulder, trying in vain to stop her laughter. "Seriously, get a grip."

"Hey, don't talk to me like that, Jas," I hissed, reaching out and poking him in the chest. "And don't forget what I told you, either. Hurt her, I cut your dick off."

"Stop dreaming about my dick, man," snickered Jasper, pushing my finger off his chest. "And get your asses out there so we can get this shit settled. Alice is excited."

"We'll be right there, Jas," giggled Bella. Winking at her, he turned and left, shutting the door behind him. Groaning, I fell back on her bed, covering my face with hands. My baby sister was getting married.

Bella climbed onto the bed, moving so that she straddled me. Reaching up, I gripped her hips, grinding myself up into her. She moaned, dropping down and kissing me. "I'm not complaining, but what was that for," I murmured, sliding my arms around her body, holding her tight.

"For being a pretty amazing brother," she whispered, peppering my face with kisses. "She's happy. He makes her happy."

"I know." I smiled. "Have you ever thought about us getting married?"

Bella froze just when her lips touched mine again. Sitting up, she shook her head, and frowned. "Edward, we-we aren't ready for marriage. I mean, I've got school, and you're-"

I cut her off by covering her mouth with my hand, rolling so she was nestled under me. "I didn't mean today, baby. I just meant someday." Removing my hand from her mouth, I smiled. "One day, I'll be the man who deserves to marry you."

Blinking back her tears, Bella raised her hands to my face, cupping my cheeks, "You already are that man. One day, I'll be ready when you ask."

"Is that a promise, Bella Swan?" I murmured, turning and kissing the palm of her hand.

"Yes," she breathed.

"Already gotcha saying yes," I laughed.

"Dork," she giggled, pushing me off of her.

"But you love me," I smirked.

"God help me, I do," she replied, shaking her head.

"Already saying I do, too," I snickered. "Hmm, seems like you are ready."

"Laugh it up, funny man," she jibed, climbing off the bed. Grabbing my hands, she pulled me up. "Time to go plan the perfect wedding."

Bella released my hands, walking out of her bedroom. Following her, I spoke under my breath, adding, "Can't do that until it's our turn."

Alice and Rose were already elbow deep in preparations when we joined them. Grabbing Bella's hand, they pulled her into the middle of them, letting out a girlish giggle. "Okay, now, since we're all a bit strapped for cash," started Alice, "and time, we've decided to just go to the Justice of the Peace on Friday, and have him perform the ceremony."

"But, Ali," began Bella, "don't you want a real wedding?"

Alice's smile falter, but she quickly recovered. "All I care about is marrying Jas," she replied, but even I could hear the longing in her voice. Nodding her head, Bella let it go, grabbing her hand, and asking for more details. My sister deserved more than a dry through wedding. Damn my parents.

Friday morning came in a flash, or more like with Alice banging on Bella's bedroom door. I groaned, tucking my girl back into my arms, and trying to ignore the squealing pixie on the other side. Muttering under her breath, Bella pulled out of my arms, grabbing my t-shirt off the floor, and slipping it over her naked body. Tripping over my shoe, she cursed, opening the fucking door.

"What?" she snapped.

"Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine," snorted Alice, pushing past her. I barely had time to pull the sheet up to cover myself. "You have half an hour to shower and get ready before we have to go," she ordered, glaring at me. "Edward, do not fuck her in the shower this morning. We don't have time. Our appointment is at noon, and it will take us at least an hour to fill out all the paperwork. The last thing we need is for Bella to look thoroughly fucked."

Bella blushed a bright red as she turned and rushed into her bathroom, grumbling about killing the pixie in her sleep. "Alice, why do you insist on embarrassing her all the fucking time?" I groused, sitting up.

"Because she makes it so easy." Alice walked out, shrugging her shoulders. "Hurry, Edward."

She slammed the door shut, ignoring the finger I was holding up for her. Throwing the sheet off of me, I scrambled into the bathroom. Bella was leaning against the vanity, staring at herself in the mirror. She'd been distant over the last few days, ever since Alice and Jasper announced their plans to marry immediately. More than once, I heard her on her cell phone, sounding like she was pleading with someone. Every time I asked her what she was thinking, she'd smile and tell me some bullshit about school, or the library. She was hiding something, I just didn't know what.

"Baby, are you okay?" I wondered, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her eyes slid closed, she trembled against me. "You're shaking."

"I'm fine," she insisted, covering my hands with one of hers. Looking at me through the mirror, she tried to smile. "That sister of yours is something else."

"Tell me about it," I chuckled, kissing the side of her neck. "You know I love you, don't you?"

"I do," she murmured, threading her fingers in my hair and turning in my arms. "I love you, too, baby. I always will."

"You seem sad," I whispered.

Shifting her eyes away from mine, she frowned. "Just thinking about my dad. Kind of missing him a lot right now."

"I'm sorry, baby," I soothed, holding her tighter. "Come on, let's take a shower."

"Um, you go ahead," she muttered, pulling out of my arms. "I'll take one after you."

"Are you sure?" I purred, reaching for her.

She nodded, pulling open the door. "Just don't use all the hot water."

Leaving me alone in the bathroom, I turned on the water, stepping in. I'd figure out what was going on with her, just had to be patient. When I got done with my shower, I wrapped my towel around my waist and headed out into Bella's bedroom, expecting her to be sitting on the bed, or at least in front of her desk, but she wasn't. My suit had been laid out for me, and a note was laying on top. Picking it up, I unfolded the paper and read her words.

**Edward,**

**I had a few errands to run. I'll meet you there. Remember, no matter what, I love you.**

**Bella**

Dropping the note back on the bed, I ran my hand through my hair, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on with her. Something told me, it wasn't good.

Ten minutes later, I walked out of her room, dressed and irritable. I'd had trouble with my tie, and Bella hadn't been there to help me. I missed her, longed for her. Emmett and Rose were sitting on the couch; him in a dark suit and her wearing a mauve strapless dress that hugged her curves. Though I felt nothing beyond friendship to Rose, she was a beautiful woman, even I couldn't deny that. The door to Alice's room opened, she and Jasper came out, giggling and smiling. It made me a bit nauseous.

"Where's Bella?" demanded Alice, smoothing the front of her dress. Since she couldn't have a proper wedding dress, she'd settled for an white sundress with tiny yellow flowers that Rose had been able to get from Macy's with her employee discount.

"She had to run an errand," I muttered, not meeting her eyes. "But said she'd meet us there."

"What kind of errand?" she snarked. "This is my wedding day, and I need my best friend there, no offense Rose."

"None taken." Rose smiled, standing up. "Can we go now? I'm sure Bella's fine."

"Yeah, okay," mumbled Alice. "Let's go."

Grabbing my cell phone and keys, I followed everyone down, making sure I didn't have a missed call from Bella, which I didn't. It was odd to me that she'd take off without telling any of us, only leaving a note laying on the bed. An uneasy feeling crept up inside of me, and no matter how much I tried to push it away, it wouldn't leave. It almost felt like Thanksgiving again.

Bella's car was missing out of her parking spot, so I climbed into the backseat of Emmett's jeep. We pulled up in front of the Justice of the Peace. Climbing out of the jeep, I looked around the parking lot, searching for her car, but didn't see it. The uneasy feeling was stronger than ever. Emmett clapped me on the shoulder, and I followed them inside, down the hallway, to the small courtroom. Alice and Jasper filled out their paperwork, handing over their marriage license, and still no Bella. My heart beat wildly in my chest, fear soaring through me.

"This all looks to be in order," explained the clerk, smiling as she looked between Alice and Jasper. "Give me about ten minutes, and I'll bring you in before the judge."

"Thank you," murmured Alice, before turning and coming over to me. "Where is she?"

"I don't know," I gritted out, pulling my cell phone out and calling her for the ten time.

"Hello, this is Bella. Obviously, I'm not able to answer my phone, but if you leave me a message, perhaps your number, I might be inclined to call you back." Slamming my phone shut, I placed my hand against the wall, fighting off the urge to hurt someone. Where the fuck was she?

"Okay, if you're ready," started the clerk, coming out of the courtroom, "you can come right this way."

"One of our friends isn't here yet," explained Alice. "Can we have a few more minutes?"

"I'm sorry, but there are five other appointments behind yours. It's now, or you're going to have to reschedule."

Closing her eyes, Alice sighed, wiping a tear off her face. "Okay, let's go."

"Alice," I exclaimed. She snapped her eyes up to mine.

"No, Edward, she knew," she muttered. "I won't wait."

Before I could offer a rebuttal, the door at the end of the hallway was thrown open, slamming against the side of the building. Looking back, we saw Bella rushing in. Following right behind her, were Carlisle and Esme.


	16. Chapter 16

** BPOV-SEVEN YEARS AGO**

Tapping my cell phone on the palm of my hand, I sighed. This was only going to invite more trouble into my life, but I didn't see that I had much of a choice. I saw the disappointment in Alice's eyes at the mere thought of getting married at the county Justice of the Peace without her parents there. She deserved better than a five minute ceremony, and a line of others waiting behind her. Sighing, I gripped my cell phone tighter in my hand, staring at the ten digit number on the little white piece of paper in my hands. Now, all I had to do was get the nerves to actually make the call.

My fingers shook as I flipped my phone open, pressing each number on the keypad. Taking a deep breath, I hit send, praying I wasn't making the biggest mistake of my life.

"Cullen residence," answered Esme, her cold, hard voice chilling me to the bone. I opened my mouth several times, trying to get the words to come out. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"M-Mrs. Cullen," I croaked, pacing inside one of the study rooms at the library.

"Who's this?" she pressed.

Leaning against the wall, I swallowed against the lump in my throat. "It's Bella Swan. You probably don't remember me, but-"

"I remember you," she interrupted. "Like I could forget the little bitch, who tore my family apart."

I clinched my fist, struggling not to hang up the phone. I was doing this for Alice, for Edward and Emmett. At least, that's what I kept telling myself. "Mrs. Cullen," I gritted out, "I didn't call to argue with you."

"Why did you call then?" She huffed, her aggravation with me coming through perfectly.

"Alice and Jasper are getting married in three days," I rushed out. I expected some type of reaction out of her, but there was nothing. "She'd like for you and Mr. Cullen to be there."

"No," she muttered, hanging up on me.

Gasping, I pulled the phone from my ear, shocked. Clearing my screen, I called back, this time picking up the machine. "Mrs. Cullen, I get it," I started, sliding down the wall. "I'm not good enough for Edward. Tell me something I don't know, but he loves me and I love him. So much. Regardless of how you and your husband feel about me, or Jasper, or anyone else, you're letting your children down." I paused, blinking back my tears.

"You don't know me," I blabbered, unable to stop the tears from pouring down my face. "I came to school with nobody waiting at home for me, and your children took me into their lives, loving me, and..." I trailed off. "You should be proud of who they are, but you don't seem to be. You're willing to throw everything away, because you can't handle the fact that I don't fit the perfect mold you want for him." I took another deep breath. "I won't go to the wedding, if that's what it takes to get you here. I'll stay away for as long as I have to. Just think before you write them off," I murmured. "They are planning on heading to the Justice of the Peace, Friday at noon. They won't wait forever for you to do the right thing."

Closing my phone, I let it fall to the floor, before wrapping my arms around my body and trying to stop myself from screaming. I was risking everything.

When Friday morning came around, it took all my strength not to climb into the shower with him, to beg him to forgive me for what I'd done. I hadn't heard a peep from Carlisle or Esme, even though I'd called a few more times, only to have the machine pick up. I knew it'd been a risky move, but I'd take any backlash from Edward if it meant making Alice happy today. After everything she'd given to me in the year that I've know her, it was the very least I could do. I just hoped Edward would understand one day.

Climbing into my car, I drove back onto campus, parking in the small lot behind the library. Technically, only employees were allowed to park there, but Carmen gave me her permit, stating she worried less about me walking to my car at night if I was right there. Silly woman. Making my way into the library, I stowed my bag under the desk and went to work, starting on the book returns. Or I tried to, at least. Cliche as it might sound, I'd left my heart back in my apartment with Edward.

My cell phone went off half a dozen times, and every time I looked down at the ID, I saw Edward's name and picture flash across the screen. Every time, I ran my finger across the outer edge of my phone, wanting to flip it open and explain, to tell him I was on my way, but I didn't. This was one sacrifice I'd have to make in order to keep them happy, even though it tore my soul apart.

Settling on floor, I began to sort through the books, putting them into two piles; past due returns and the on time returns. There were twice as many late returns. Shaking my head, I started stacking them back on the cart, trying to keep them in order so I could check them in, and get them back on the shelves. It always amazed me how many students chose to return their books late, racking up a overdue fees in the process.

"Um, excuse me." My hand froze as I reached out for a book on modern art. "Bella."

Letting my arm fall to my side, I turned around, finding myself face to face with Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Both of them were dressed in the finest clothes, him a dark suit, while she wore an ivory silk dress with a wide belt around her waist. Wiping my hands on my jeans, I took a deep breath, trying to find my voice.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out, slapping my hand over my mouth.

"We need to talk," replied Carlisle, offhandedly. "Is there somewhere else we can go?"

"No, there's nobody else here," I lied, as the door to Carmen's office opened and she came out. "Fuck," I spat, under my breath.

Stopping to look between the three of us, she smiled, offering them her hand. "I'm Carmen Santiago. How do you know my Bella?"

Carlisle and Esme looked flabbergasted, which secretly pleased me a little. "They're Edward's parents," I whispered.

All sense of friendliness vanished as she dropped her hand. "Oh," she muttered, with disgrace. Having extended her care to Edward, Alice, and Emmett, Carmen knew enough about the kind of people they were. "Bella, darling, why don't you go somewhere else while I have a little chat with them?"

"Carmen," I muttered, shaking my head.

"We'd like to speak to Bella privately," announced Carlisle. I closed my eyes. "Please, of course."

"I don't think-"

"It's fine," I gritted, placing my hand on Carmen's shoulder. She started to argue with me, but clamped her mouth closed, and gestured for me to go ahead.

Taking a deep breath, I walked from behind the counter and led them outside. With the way they both clearly felt about me, I knew better than to trap myself inside a room with them. Somehow, I doubted I'd be the one coming out alive in that scenario. Stopping at a series of stone benches just outside the door, I waited for one, or both, of the them to explain why they wanted to talk to me. They shouldn't be standing in front of me. They were supposed to be trying to mend things with their children.

"Well, what do you want?" I groused.

"We wanted to apologize," replied Carlisle, shrugging his shoulders like he'd just informed me that they were out of milk. Esme, however, didn't say a word. "We were wrong to treat you like you're nothing."

"Yes, you were," I muttered. I didn't buy that he and Esme had a sudden change of heart. "This isn't where you are supposed to be. You should be down at the Justice of the Peace," I added.

"We're heading over there next," explained Carlisle. "But we needed to fix things with you first."

"Why?" I snapped. "I'm just a little gold digging bitch, right?" They flinched. "Didn't think he told me, did you?"

"No, we didn't," admitted Carlisle, while Esme stared at the ground.

Crossing my arms, I shook my head. "I don't care what you think about me," I lied, because I did care. "But you hurt Edward. You made him choose, and when he picked me, you cut them at the knees." They frowned. "Alice shouldn't even have to consider getting married at the Justice of the Peace. She shouldn't have to be taking one class a semester, and working sixty hours a week, just to make rent, or buy food." They flinched. "You should go...now. Beg them to give you another chance."

"They won't listen to us if you aren't there," Esme spoke for the first time. Lifting her eyes off the ground, she met mine for the first time. While she didn't glare at me, I didn't see any warm and fuzzy feelings, either. "I'm not going to stand here and lie to you, Betty, I don't like you much. You seem...plain," she gritted out. Carlisle reached out and placed his hand on her arm, causing her to scowl. "But Edward, Alice, and Emmett see something in you."

"Bella," I said, dryly.

"Excuse me?" she asked, raising her perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"My name is not Betty, it's Bella," I replied. "And I don't need you to like me. But what I do need, is you to stop hurting your children."

"Which is exactly what we are here to do." Carlisle tightened his grip on her arm, pulling her back a step.

"Standing here in front of me is not the way to get your children to ever forgive you." I sighed with a shake of my head.

"Bella," started Carlisle, his tone coming off as patronizing. "We've come to the conclusion that you're very important to our children, and since they aren't willing to bend to our will, we see that we must be the ones to give in."  
I ran my hands over my face, pushing my hair back. I hadn't been prepared for them to come to me like this. They were supposed to go straight to the wedding.

Hesitating for a moment, Carlisle dropped his hand off of Esme's arm and reached out to me, patting me on the shoulder three very awkward times. "Please, give us another chance," he added.

Shaking my head, I nibbled on my bottom lip, trying to figure out want to do here. It was clear they wouldn't go to the wedding unless I went with them Esme turned toward her husband. "I told you this was a waste of time. It's obvious that she doesn't want to make an effort, either."

"Esme, stop," he hissed, glaring at her.

Waving him off, she turned back to me. "I'd be happier if you didn't come, but seeing as my son loves you, I guess I'd better get used to having you around."

"I'm not forcing myself on you, Mrs. Cullen, and I don't need you to like me," I snarked. "My father taught me to be strong, and he told me never to stop fighting for the ones I love." I paused, feeling my eyes fill up with tears. "And I do love Edward, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. As long as he wants me, I'll be here. You have to choose if you're going to accept his decisions in life, or not. Because, frankly, he's going to be who he wants, regardless if what you think."

Esme clamped her jaw shut. Stepping between us, Carlisle put his hand up, trying to calm everything down. "Bella, come with us to the wedding. We don't deserve it, but help us get our children back."

Knowing I'd end up regretting agreeing, but with a quick nod, I signed over my soul. Running back inside, I quickly explained to Carmen, who gave me her blessing, but cautioned me to be careful. Promising her that I would be, I hugged her and grabbed my bag out from under the counter. I followed Carlisle and Esme over to my car, smirking a little at the disgusted looks on their faces when they climbed in. While my car may be old, she got me to where I needed, and that's all I needed. Besides, my father was in every part of this car.

Traffic was heavy, we found ourselves moving at a snails pace along the highway. Carlisle sat in the backseat, arm slung up on the back of the seat, tapping his nails. Esme was next to me, legs crossed, hands clenched into fists, but placed neatly in her lap. She kept her eyes straight ahead, lips pressed into a thin line. How two uptight, rigid, cold-hearted people like them created three of the most generous people I knew was something I'd never be able to understand.

With three minutes to spare, I parked my car in the back row of the parking lot. Climbing out, we ran toward the entrance, and I prayed we weren't late. Throwing open the doors, I spotted Edward, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose standing at the end of the hallway. They looked over at us, rage filling their features. This wasn't going to end happily.

**BPOV-PRESENT**

Shifting over against the wall, I waited for whatever hell Dwyer had planned for me next. For my own personal safely, the smarter action would've been for me to allow Steven and Kaitlin to stay with me, but I couldn't do that to them. They'd both shown their bravery by rising up and taking a stand. but they were babies. They, along with their classmates, deserved to sleep in their own beds, wrapped in the security of knowing they were safe. I'd take the brunt of the abuse for them, even if it ended up costing me everything.

"You look pathetic," he guffawed, settling back on the counter top. I looked away from him. "Ah, is the poor little whore second guessing your choice to stay in here with me?"

"No," I lied. "I'm wondering how one person can be so fucking vile."

"And the potty mouth comes out," he snickered, tapping his gun against his chin. I hoped he'd shoot himself. "I knew you were a foul mouth, little wench." I rolled my eyes. "Oh,wait, I forget, you're fucking perfect, aren't you?"

"I may not be perfect, but I'm better than you," I muttered.

"Is that right?" He smirked. "And look where your perfect life has gotten you."

"You put me here," I groused.

"Just like a woman to blame a man for everything," he grumbled.

I snorted. "That's rich coming from you," I snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," I started, "that all you've done since you came barreling into my classroom, was go off on one tangent or another about how everything is everyone's fault, but yours." Dwyer looked away. "Yeah, see, I've got you all figured out."

"You think so?" he scoffed.

"Oh, yeah." It was my turn to smirk. "You killed your wife because she stood up to you, right? It was all fine and dandy for you to be hitting her, but the moment you turned your anger onto her little boy, everything changed. That's okay with you, though. She was just a means to an end, right? All you wanted was the kid, but then, someone noticed the way he came to school with bruises covering his body and fear swimming in his eyes. They took a stand against you, fought for him. You've lost your boy, you son of a bitch," I cackled. "And you know what?" Dwyer didn't answer me. "I'd have done the same goddamn thing if I'd been his teacher."

Snapping his head over to me, I knew I'd gone too far. Before I had the chance to even blink, Dwyer had crossed the room and had his hand wrapped around my throat. Clawing at his calloused skin, I struggled to breathe as he dragged me up the wall so that my toes barely touched the ground. Leaning forward, he placed his free hand by my side, right up against my breast.

"I'm gonna enjoy every fucking second of this," he growled, his breath wafting over me.

Crying silently, he threw me to the ground. My head hit the corner of my desk as I fell. Screaming, the last thing I saw before the darkness wrapped around me was Dwyer reaching for his belt.

**Thank you for all the reviews. And, yes, I know...how could I leave it there. Have faith that I will make everything okay. **


	17. Chapter 17

**EPOV-PRESENT DAY**

I laid curled up on the ground until Alice pulled me to my feet and led me through the crowd of parents, Bella's students, and my fellow officers. Their eyes followed us with each step we took, I heard their muffled whispers. They thought I'd finally lost control, that the stress of knowing my life was trapped on the other side of that door with a complete monster while I sat helpless had caused me to lose my edge. Perhaps they were right.

Keeping her arm wrapped tight around me, Alice led me over to the swings, pushing me into one before settling down next to me. Gripping the chains, I leaned my head against the cold, iron links. Echoing through my head were the words Steven had just shared with us. My Bella was taking a beating in order to project her kids. She'd sacrificed herself for them. Shaking my head, I sighed. I hadn't been willing to take the time to call her last night and let her know I'd be home late. How fucking selfish could I be?

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Looking over at my sister, I found her watching me with judgement in her eyes. No less than I deserved."You've been a real shit lately, Edward."

"I know, Alice," I grumbled, shifting my gaze away from her. "Believe me, I know."

"You have to be strong for her."

"If I lose her..." I shook my head, blinking back my tears. "She's everything to me, Alice. She always has been. From the moment I first saw her, my entire world changed.."

"I know." Alice reached over, covering my hand with hers. "Don't give up now, big brother. She deserves better than to have you wallowing away in your own self pity."

Letting go of my hand, she stood up and walked over to Jasper, slipping her arms around his waist. With a wry smile, he turned to her, leaning down and kissing her. Tearing my eyes from them, I fought back the urge to rip them apart. I wanted to be holding my Bella in my arms, to kiss her lips. I wanted to be able to fall to my knees in front of her and beg her to forgive me for being an insensitive asshole. But I couldn't do that because my wife stayed behind with a monster, all so her kids could go home and sleep in their beds tonight. Shifting my eyes over to her classroom, I wept silently. Bella was my hero.

**SEVEN YEARS AGO**

My heart beat frantically as I stood in the middle of the brightly lit corridor, my eyes locked on the one person I trusted more than anybody. My Bella stood with them, fear and anticipation pouring of her. After the way they'd treated her, how could she even look at them, much less stand there next to them?

"Excuse me, Miss Cullen." Looking back, we found the clerk standing in the doorway to the courtroom. "Are you ready?"

"Um," murmured Alice, shifting her eyes back to our so-called parents.

"If you don't come now, I'll have to move you to the bottom of the list," she added.

"We're not ready." Jasper slipped his arm around her waist. "But keep us on the list."

Nodding her head, the clerk called for the next couple to come in. Shifting uncomfortably, Esme and Carlisle looked around the courthouse, disgust etched over all of their features. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes and laugh, I clamped my mouth tight. How typical of them to place judgement over those they assumed to be less than perfect.

"Edward," Bella whispered, reaching out for me. Treading my fingers in with hers, I pulled her to me, needing to feel her, needing to understand what had pushed her to contact them. Hadn't they hurt her enough? Ducking her head against my chest, her body shook against mine, her tears soaking into my shirt. "Baby, please, don't be mad."

My lips parted, my words tumbling out before I could stop them, "Bella, what the fuck did you do?"

"I saw how much it was hurting her not to have them here, or not to have a real wedding. I just..." Trailing off, she shook her head, looking up at me with tears in her eyes. "I just wanted to make everything okay."

Alice gasped, throwing her hands up to her mouth. "You called them for me?"

Turning her head so she could look at my sister, Bella nodded. Reaching out to her, Alice grabbed her free hand, tearing her from my arms and embracing her. Muffled sobs reverberated from both of them. Feeling my eyes burn with my own tears, I ran my hand through my hair. Bella had reached out to them, knowing how they felt about her, just so that my sister would be happy.

"Oh, Bella, you didn't need to do that," sobbed Alice.

"I did," she insisted, pulling back enough to wipe away her tears. "Alice, you've done so much for me in the last year, and I saw how sad you were about not having your parents here. I just wanted to make everything perfect for you and Jasper."

"Bella," sighed Jasper, wrapping his arms around both girls. "You don't owe us anything. A bunch of misfits, remember?"

"I remember," whispered Bella, nodding. "But my daddy always told me that we can't give up on those who need us the most. I know it doesn't seem like it, but they need you."

Shifting my eyes over to Carlisle and Esme, I found them looking at the floor. "They don't need us," I deadpanned, causing them to look at me. "I don't know why they're here, but it's not because they need us."

"Edward, we're here because we've realized we're wrong," muttered Carlisle, nearly choking on his words.

"No shit," scoffed Rose, making her presence known. Carlisle and Esme shifted their eyes over to her, making sure to give her the once over. Even though they tried to cover it, their distaste for her came through. They'd never change. Rolling her eyes, Rose turned to Emmett. "I'm gonna run to the ladies room, give you a few minutes to...talk or whatever." Reaching over, she grabbed Bella's hand. "Come with me."

Before Bella had a chance to protest, Rose was dragging her down the hallway. Jasper opened his mouth several times before following them. Biting back the urge to call him a coward, I turned back to my so-called parents. I don't know what they expected to happen today. Too much had been said, and done, for us to be able to be more than we were in this moment. I loved Bella, but sometimes, she was naive in the way the world worked.

"Well, perhaps, there's a room around here we can use," chirped Esme, eying the couples behind us who were waiting for their turn. Letting her eyes fall on a young couple, both barely eighteen, she scowled, noticing the growing baby bump between her hips. How typical of Esme Cullen.

"No, I think we can get this over with pretty fast," snarked Alice. "I want you to leave."

"Alice, sweetheart," Esme cooed, reaching for her. Automatically, Emmett and I placed our hands on her shoulders, pulling her back.

"You heard her," I groused. "She said to leave. I don't know what you expected to happen today, but after everything you said and did, there's no way in hell we want you here."

"Look, we understand that we hurt you, but-"

"There are no buts, Dad," snapped Emmett, stepping between us and them. "You threw us away, tossed us aside like garbage. And why? Because we stood up to you?"

"We were angry," Carlisle started, but shut his mouth when Emmett put his hand up.

"So were we." Shaking his head, he laughed bitterly. "I had one year left of school. Just one more, but now, because you decided not to pay my tuition, I've had to cut back to two classes and find a job just to be able to support myself. Which isn't a big deal, because I'm not afraid of a little hard work, but I already had people interested in hiring me after I graduated. Do you think they'll still be there in two years?" Opening his mouth once, Carlisle clamped his lips shut, the realization of what he and Esme cost Emmett becoming painfully clear to him. "If Rose hadn't been there to push me not to give up, I don't know where I'd be," continued Emmett. "I don't need you."

Hooking her arm in with his, Alice stepped up next to our brother, a frown curving over her lips. "You used to not be like this. There was a time when you'd accept everyone into your home. I don't know when that changed. Jasper's been a part of this family since he and Edward were ten years old, but it's like the moment you realized I was in love with him, you suddenly decided he wasn't worth shit. He's the most amazing, caring man I've ever met. I don't deserve him, but, goddamn it, I love him and he loves me in return."

"Alice, we don't have a problem with Jasper," Esme lied.

"Never play poker, Mother," Alice spat. "You're a horrible liar. You blackmailed me into putting the wedding off for three years. You knew there was no way I'd be able to pay for school without your support and told me we had to wait if I wanted the wedding I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl."

"You're barely twenty," grumbled Esme. "You've got your whole life ahead of you."

"No, my whole life walked down this hallway to give you the chance to save face." Alice gestured toward where Jasper stood leaning against the wall. "And you know what? I don't need you, or your money. I've got a decent job. I'll take one course at a time, but I will get my degree and I will make something of myself. As far as I am concerned, you both can straight to hell."

Turning on her heel, she wrapped her arms around her body, and left us standing there. Catching up to Jasper, she fell into his arms, letting him sooth her. Emmett shook his head and followed, leaving me alone with Carlisle and Esme, both of whom looked a bit shocked that we hadn't welcomed them back into our lives with open arms. Some wounds ran too deep.

Shifting my gaze back to my parents, I brought my hand up to my jaw. "Just go. You're not wanted here, not after everything you've done to us."

"Edward, please, just give us another chance," Esme begged, reaching for my hand.

Stepping away from her, I laughed sardonically. "Why should I? Did you give Bella a chance?" They flinched. "I told you that she's important to me, and you treated her like trash," I bellowed. "I'd never been more disappointed in you in all of my life."

"Edward," cried Bella. Spinning around, I found her standing behind me with tears pouring down her face. "Please, give them another chance."

"How can you ask me to do that?" I snarled, stepping toward her. "After what she said to you? After what they did to us?"

"Because, while they're not perfect, and they have a lot of work to do, they are the only parents you're ever going to have, Edward," she whimpered. "I'd give anything to have my dad with me right now. Don't throw them away out of anger and spite."

"They hurt you," I muttered. Reaching for her, I pulled her into my arms, brushing away her tears. "Baby, you left me because of them."

"I know." She frowned, covering my hand with hers. "But they're still your parents, and they're trying."

"I don't need them," I pleaded. "All I need is you."

Closing her eyes, she dropped her hand to my chest. "They need you."

"Bella," I whispered, resting my forehead against hers. "Don't make me do this."

"I'm not, I'm asking you forgive them." Stroking my cheek, she sighed. "Do it for me."

"You're asking too much," I murmured.

"I know, but I'm still asking," she said.

Shaking my head, I looked over at my parents. Standing with his arm wrapped my mother, Carlisle's mouth was open, pure and utter shock evident. "And you thought she wasn't good enough for me?" I laughed bitterly. "I'm not good enough for her."

"Edward," Bella breathed.

"I can't promise that I'll ever be able to forgive you, but I'm willing to take the chance." I explained. Turning to look at Alice and Emmett, I added, "I'll do it for her."

Alice shifted her eyes over to Bella, her expression softening. "I can't, I'm sorry."

Taking a step toward her, Bella reached out, taking her hands tightly. "I won't get this chance with my father, Alice." Bella cried, looking over her shoulder at me. "When Edward and I decide it's time for us to get married, I won't have my dad there to walk me down the aisle, or to give him his blessing." Turning back to Alice, she frowned. "Don't let your pride stop you from having what your heart wants."

"Bella," sighed Alice, shaking her head.

"Alice, please give us another chance," Carlisle begged. "We can't change what we did to Bella, or Jasper, but we can try to make it right. All we're asking for is a chance."

Closing her eyes, she gritted her teeth together. "Fine, but don't make me regret it." A relieved smile spread across Esme and Carlisle's faces. "But, Jasper and I are still getting married today. You can come in with us, however, Edward and Emmett will be giving me away."

The smile dropped off my father's face. "You lost your right when you turned against us, Carlisle," she sneered. He flinched, never hearing any of us refer to him by his given name. "You only have yourself to blame."

After waiting a couple more painfully, awkward hours, the clerk called us into the small courtroom. Our wait had been filled with mindless questions about how our lives had been since our parents made the decision to cut us off. Receiving only one words answers, they gave up, choosing to sit there in silence instead. Taking their places at the front, Jasper, Rose, and Bella smiled while Emmett and I led Alice down the short aisle, ignoring the people who stood to left of the room.

While the Justice of the Peace started the ceremony, I lifted my gaze to Bella, finding her watching me with a worried look on her face. She'd been willing to sacrifice everything in order to make this day perfect for Alice. As angry as I was with her for calling them, I knew she did it because she loved us. I didn't deserve to have her in my life, to share a bed with her. I didn't deserve for her to love me.

"By the power given to me by the state of California, I now pronounce you man and wife," the Justice of the Peace announced. "You may kiss your bride, and congratulations."

Giggling, Alice threw her arms around Jasper's neck, pulling him down so she could kiss him. Chuckling, the Justice of the Peace signed off on their marriage license, handing to me. "Thank you."

Smiling from ear to ear, Alice tore her lips from her new husband's. "Finally, you're all mine."

"I've always been yours, Alice Whitlock," he murmured. Cheesy, but the man knew just how to make her swoon. Looking at Bella, I knew that she'd always be mine, too.

Slipping her fingers in with Jasper's, they head out of the courtroom with the rest of us following. Bella wrapped her arm around mine, leaning her head on my shoulder. Turning, I pressed my lips against the top of her head. My silly, naive girl.

"Well, it was a beautiful ceremony," Esme said, tightly as we walked out of the courthouse. Stopping and looking at Alice and Jasper. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen," replied Jasper, tightening his arm around Alice's waist.

"Call me Esme, Jasper," she gritted out. "You are family now."

Jasper nodded, but didn't say anything in return. Her disdain for him was still painfully obvious. Shifting next to me, Bella took a deep breath. "Well, perhaps, I should drive you back to your car."

"Oh, no," blurted Carlisle. "I mean, we'll take a cab. No sense in you having to drive all the way back over there."

"You're going to have trouble finding a cab here," quipped Bella, gesturing to the downtown traffic. "Besides, I'm going back that way anyway."

"No, Bella, it's fine," I insisted, slipping my arm around her waist. "They can get a cab. You've done enough for them." Frowning, Bella nodded, understanding that she couldn't fix everything. "We should be going. I'm sure Alice and Jasper have plans for the evening."

"Okay," whispered Bella, turning to Alice. "Congratulations, Ali and Jas."

"Thanks," murmured Alice, hugging her. "I'll talk to you in a couple of days. I love you."

"Love you, too, Ali." Hugging Jasper next, Bella stepped back into my arms.

After telling all of us, except our parents, goodbye, Alice and Jasper ran over to his car, heading to wherever they had planned. Neither of them had told us anything, and we didn't push it. They may not have been able to have the wedding of their dreams, but they deserved to have a honeymoon.

Clearing his throat, Carlisle drew our attention back to them. "Would you all join us for dinner? We'd like to be able to sit down and talk."

"Yeah, I don't think so," scoffed Emmett, turning with Rose in his arms and walking away. "Eddie, Bella, talk to you later. Ma and Pa, feel free to go to hell."

Laughing, Rose allowed him to lead her to his car, where he opened the door and helped her inside. Not bothering to spare us another look, he climbed in behind the wheel and left. Clearly, Emmett wasn't going to be forgiving and forgetting anytime soon. Looking back at Carlisle and Esme, I knew I wouldn't be either, no matter how much Bella wanted us to be a family again. Some things couldn't be made right.

Turning back to Bella, I murmured, "Come on, baby, let's go home."

"Okay," she replied. Shifting her eyes over to Carlisle and Esme, she tried to smile. "Don't give up. They're worth fighting for."

Slipping my hand into hers, we headed over to her car, leaving my parents standing in front of the courthouse. Driving past them in the parking lot, I noticed that Esme had a tissue up to her mouth, and her body was turned toward my father. Perhaps, she had a soul after all. Watching Bella out of the corner of my eye, I understood why she felt the need to reach out to them. She would always feel the loss of her father in her life, and she didn't want us to feel that loss, too.

"Are you mad at me?" Bella asked, closing her bedroom door behind her. I could hear the fear behind each word she spoke.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, I reached out, grabbed her hips, and pulled to me. Resting my forehead on her stomach, I sighed. "No, baby, I'm not mad at you. Not anymore, anyway. I just wish you'd talked to me first."

"You would have told me not to call them," she murmured, raking her fingers through my hair.

My eyes fluttered to a close, I moaned, sliding my hands from her hips, cupping her ass through her jeans. "You shouldn't have had to call them."

"No, I shouldn't have, but they're stubborn. Kind of like someone else I know." Tilting my head back, she smiled "I only did what I had to do in order to make things better. I know you've missed them."

"Not them," I disagreed. "I miss the parents I knew as a child. The ones who dressed up with us every Halloween, or camped out in the living room when the lights went out. My dad stayed up all night, keeping the fire going so we wouldn't be cold." Leaning back on the bed, I pulled her down on top of me, causing her to giggle. "Were they mean to you?"

"No," she lied. Rolling my eyes, I flipped us over, nestling myself between her legs. "Okay, so we won't be exchanging texts any time soon. At least, they know my name now."

I laughed. "Baby, you're amazing and beautiful."

She blushed, ducking her face into the curvature of my neck. Sliding my hand up her thigh, I gripped her leg, pulling it up over my hip. My need for her pressed against her center. Even through the dark dress pants I wore, and the thick denim she donned, I knew she felt all of me. Sliding her hands down, she began unbuttoning my shirt, letting her fingers graze my skin. Reaching the last button, she pushed it off my shoulders. Tearing my arms of the sleeves, I tossed it onto the floor.

Gripping the bottom of her t-shirt, I slipped it off of her, breathing heavily at the sight before me. Black lace cupped her ample breasts, contrasting perfectly with her ivory skin. Inhaling, I trailed my fingers along the edges of her sexy lingerie. Bella moaned, arching her back toward me. Taking advantage of the moment, I slipped my hand under her, flicking the clasp, removing the item with a careless toss behind me. Lowering my lips to her nipple, I sucked the hardened peak between my lips, teasing her with my tongue.

"Fuck, Edward," she mewled.

Smirking, I released her, only to take her other nipple, showing it equal attention. Bella whimpered, withering beneath me. Slowly making my way down her abdomen, I kissed and sucked on her skin, relishing in her scent. She smelled like summertime and home.

Reaching the top of her jeans, I pulled them open, lowering the zipper. Sitting back, I slipped her jeans off, tossing them on the floor followed by her panties. My eyes raked over her nude body, mesmerized by how exquisite she was. Wrapping my arms around her thighs, I lowered my mouth to her, dipping my tongue into her warmth. Moaning, I pushed my face further into her; she tasted like heaven.

"Oh, God, Edward, don't fucking stop," she begged, twisting her fingers in my hair.

Digging my fingers into her flesh, I lifted her hips off the bed, drawing even more of her sex against my mouth. Feasting on her, I felt her body tremble as she came undone for me. Only me. Releasing her legs, I moved frantically to shed my remaining clothes. The desire to be with her, to fill her to the brink, burned through me. Kicking them away, I moved back over her, pushing her legs wider. Crushing my mouth down onto hers, I slipped into her, swallowing her moan.

Her fingers found their way into my hair once again as I set a slow and steady pace. I didn't want tonight to be rushed. Wrapping my fingers around the iron bars along her headboard, I ducked my head into her neck, nipping on her skin. Moaning, Bella lifted her hips, meeting my thrusts. Our bodies, much like our hearts and souls, were one, the way we were meant to be.

Covered in a thin, shimmering layer of sweat, I slipped my arm under her back, lifting her off the bed as I fell back into a seated position. Throwing her arms around my shoulders, I slide further into her, my hands roaming over every inch of skin I could find. My body craved more, needing all of her. Curving my fingers over her shoulder, I rocked into her. Feeling the burn already starting to build, I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. Tightening my hold on her, I thrust harder, desperate for her to fall before me.

"So...close," she gasped, pulling on my hair. "Please, baby...so...close."

"Tell me what you need," I uttered, tracing her spine with the tips of my fingers.

Shivering against me, she whimpered, "You, just you."

Those three simple words shot straight through me. Stilling my hips against hers, I found my release, pulling her over the edge with me.

A muffled sob escaped her lips. Holding her firmly against me, I slipped out of her, laying her down on the bed with my body covering hers. "Don't leave me, Edward," she begged. "Please, don't ever leave me."

"Never," I whispered. "I love you."

"I love you," Bella cried. "You're my home."

"As you're mine." Kissing the side of her head, I closed my eyes. "You're my life."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry for the delay, but as I've explained in my other two stories I just updated, real life has been a real bitch. Now, you didn't think I'd make it that easy for Carlisle and Esme to weasel their ways back into the story, did you? **


	18. Chapter 18

** BPOV- SEVEN YEARS AGO**

Stifling my yawn, I flipped the page in my chemistry book, staring at the list of Molecular formulas on the page. Who really gave a shit if C2H6 was the formula for Ethane, anyway. My eyes burned, begging for me to give them a much needed break, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until Edward came home. I'd tried and failed too many times, but my body just wouldn't relax until he was next to me, holding me tight against his.

Slamming my book closed, I climbed off our bed and walked into our bathroom. Bracing myself on the vanity, I lifted my eyes to the mirror, cringing at the dark circles and heavy bags. Sleep hadn't been my friend since Jasper and Alice were married. Most nights, even with Edward holding me, I often found myself watching the clock tick by, the red, neon glow taunting me. If I did mange to sleep, nightmares detailing them leaving me, lashing out at me for involving their parents in their lives. Taking a deep breath, I tried to push the latest one out of my head. It'd been bad enough living through them during the night, without needing to relive them during the day.

"Baby," called Edward, closing the door to our bedroom.

Putting on my best smile, I walked out of the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, untying his shoes. Wearing his cadets uniform from the academy, he'd never looked more handsome. A long sleep blue button up shirt, and a pair of dark slacks, it was the first time I'd ever seen him look so grown up. Tossing his shoes over by the closest, he lifted his eyes to mine and smiled. Oh, my Edward.

"Hey, you," he murmured, reaching for me. Blushing, I placed my hand in his, letting him pull me into his lap. Nestling his face into my neck, he moaned. "I missed you today."

"I missed you, too," I gasped, my fingers tangling themselves into his hair.

Sucking on my collarbone for a moment, he tilted his head back. "You look tired. Why weren't you already in bed?"

"Oh, you know, I had to study," I lied, or half-lied at least.

Shaking his head, Edward stood up with me in his arms and walked around to my side of the bed, plopping me on the mattress. "Stay," he ordered.

Slipping my legs under the comforter, I watched as he stripped off the rest of his uniform, slipping on a pair of red and black plaid pajama pants and a red t-shirt. Winking at me, he walked out of our room, but came back a few minutes later with two cups of hot chocolate and a package of Nutter Butter cookies, my favorites, tucked under his arm. Letting them fall onto the bed, he handed me one of the cups, before sliding into bed next to me, making a show of kicking my school books off the end.

"Nice, Edward," I sighed, moving to pick them up.

"Leave them," he chuckled, tucking me in his arms.

"The pages will get torn," I whined, half-hardheartedly struggling against him.

"Tough," he murmured, brushing his lips across my ear. I shivered against him. He cheated. "It's been a long day and I've missed you."

"I missed you, too," I whispered, laying my head back on his shoulder. "What did you have today?

"A couple classes over Forensic Science, and we had to put in some hours at the range," he replied. Even though I'd grown up around guns all my life, I hated the idea of him handling one. "How were your classes?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not bad. Mrs. Gregory handed back our papers on developmental delays, I got an A."

"Of course you did, don't you always," he scoffed. Pulling myself out of his arms, I reached for my hot chocolate, trying not to let my hurt feelings show. He made it sound like me getting an A on my paper was nothing. I'd worked on it for two weeks, spending countless hours researching every aspect. Sighing, he sat up behind me. "What?"

"Nothing," I murmured.

Moving, Edward sat up in his knees, encircling me in his arms again. "Baby, what did I do?"

"I worked hard on that paper," I mumbled, feeling foolish for getting so upset.

"I know," he whispered.

Rolling my eyes, I turned so that I faced him. "You act like it's no big deal that I got an A."

Falling back on the bed, he groaned and I regretted saying anything to him. "I didn't mean it like that, Bella," he said, each word laced with his irritation. "I simply meant that you always get A's because you do work so hard. Guess, I didn't realize that I was supposed to throw you a party for each and every one you got."

Shocked by his tone, I placed my cup on my nightstand, and stood up. Moving to the end of the bed, I started gathering my books, shoving them back into my backpack. "Bella, stop," he groused, climbing off the bed. He reached for my hand, but I jerked it away. "Bella!"

"No," I muttered, sniffing my humiliating tears and standing up. "I never asked for a fucking party, Edward. You asked me about my day and I told you, end of fucking story, but I guess that means nothing to you."

"Of course it does," he insisted, reaching for me again. I stepped away from him, not wanting him to touch me for the first time since I'd met him. "Bella!"

"I'm going to bed," I whimpered. "At least that way, you won't have to listen to me babble on about my one stupid grade."

"I never said you were babbling," he snapped, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just don't see why you want me to be all excited every time you get an A. Fuck, Bella, do you really need me to validate you so much?"

Staring at him with my mouth open, I didn't even know what to say. Swallowing against the lump in my throat, I shook my head. "I don't need anything from you, Edward. Not one goddamn thing."

Climbing back onto my bed, I slid under the covers, tucking them under my chin before I reached over and turned off my light. I expected Edward to apologize, or at least climb into the bed behind me, but he didn't. A moment later, I heard the door to my room open and close. When I looked back, he was gone, leaving all alone. Turning my face into my pillow, I cried myself to sleep, wishing he'd been there to hold me.

After a night of restless sleep, I stumbled my way though a shower, choosing to wear my favorite jeans and the only shirt I had left from my father. The navy blue t-shit with "Forks PD" on the back with large white letters had been Charlie's favorite. After he died, I couldn't bring myself to toss it out with the rest of his stuff. Every time I wore it, I felt close to him. This morning, I desperately needed to feel close to my daddy.

Grabbing my backpack off the floor, I threw it on my shoulder and walked out of my bedroom. Emmett and Rose were sitting at the small breakfast table. One look at the couch and I knew Edward had spent the night there. Stifling the pain ripping at my heart, I blinked back my tears. I'd fucked everything up with him, when all I wanted was for him to hold me last night.

"You want some coffee, Bella?" Emmett asked.

Releasing the shaky breath I'd been holding, I brushed away the tear traveling down my face. "No, I'm gonna be late as it is, so..."

Letting my words hang in the air, I shifted my bag further on my shoulder and walked out of our apartment, running down the stairs to where my car was parked. I looked over to see if Edward's car was still in the lot, but his parking spot was vacant. He'd left without even saying goodbye. Trying my hardest to stifle the pain in my chest, I climbed in behind the wheel of my car, tossing my bag into the passenger seat. Placing my key in the ignition, I turned it, only to get nothing, not even a click.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me," I grumbled, trying it once again and still not getting anything. Resting my forehead on the wheel, I let out a frustrated scream.

"Bella?" Looking over, I noticed Alice standing outside of my car. Pushing open the door, I climbed out. "What's wrong?"

"My car's dead," I muttered, avoiding her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie, do you need a ride to campus?" she asked, frowning.

"Please," I whispered. Grabbing my backpack, I climbed into the passenger seat of her Porsche, stowing my back at my feet. With a purr, her car started right up and she headed toward campus.

"So, how's everything going?" She looked over at me. "I haven't talked to you much in the last few weeks, not since the wedding."

"Oh, well, I've been so busy," I explained, trying to smile. "You know, between school, the library, and...Edward."

"Edward," she murmured, shifting her attention between me and the road. "Yeah, it's been an adjustment with him and Jasper being at the academy all the time."

"Yeah."

"Jasper comes home every night completely exhausted," she added. "He seems to love it, though. How about Edward?"

"The same," I said, quietly.

Alice didn't press the subject any further. Ten minutes later, she parked in the commuter parking lot. Grabbing my bag, I muttered a tense goodbye, before heading off to my first class, Integrated Chemistry. Dr. Banner's lesson was excruciatingly boring. All I heard was him babbling on about the number of Protons in Radium. By the time I headed to the library for my shift, I was exhausted and my head pounded. I'd checked my cell phone every five minutes, hoping that Edward would call. He never did.

Stowing my bag under the desk, I offered Carmen a muffled greeting, before grabbing the returned book cart and working on putting all the books up. It wasn't much, but it gave me something to do, a way to get my mind off of Edward. My body craved to feel him against me, my hands wanted to grasp his, while my heart begged him not to leave me again.

The afternoon shifted into evening, the sun slowly began to set. I'd managed to get all the books re-shelved, before moving on to printing out the stack of overdue notices that needed to be sent out to everyone who'd failed to return their books on time, or at all in some cases. By the time, I locked the library up, all I wanted to do was go home and cry. I still hadn't heard from Edward.

However, it wasn't until I reached the parking lot that I remembered my car hadn't started this morning, and I had no way of getting back home. Dropping to the curb, I rested my forehead on my knees, fighting the urge to break something, anything. I heard a car drive past me and park a couple spaces down, but I didn't bother looking up. Honestly, I didn't care who they were, or what they wanted at this point. All I wanted was to redo the last twenty-four hours.

"Hey." Looking up, I found Edward standing a few feet from me, dressed in his cadet blues again. "Alice told me about your car. I thought you might need a ride home."

"Oh, you did, huh?" I muttered, standing up. "Don't worry about me, I'll just take the bus."

"Not at this time of night," he scoffed.

"I don't want to fight, Edward," I snapped. "I'm hungry and tired. All I want it to go home and forget today ever happened."

"Then don't argue with me." He gestured to his car. "Come on, let's go home."

"Fine, whatever."

Following him over to his car, I climbed into the front seat, hugging my backpack up to my chest. Sliding in behind the wheel, Edward started the car and shifted it in reverse, backing out of the parking space, before shifting it into drive and heading toward our apartment.

"Are you cold?" he asked, fumbling with the heater.

"Not really," I lied. My fingers and toes felt like ice. Snorting, Edward turned the heat on high, adjusting the vents toward me. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he muttered, dropping his arm onto the console between us. "Did you want to stop and grab something to eat?"

"No, I've got some soup back at the apartment," I replied. Looking over at him, I added, "But you can grab yourself something, if you want."

"I'm not very hungry," he grumbled, stopping at a red light.

I didn't know what to say. Instead I flexed my fingers in front of the vents, trying to warm them up. The light changed to green so Edward pressed down on the gas pedal and the car shot forward. A few awkward minutes later, he parked his car in his space, cutting the engine. Throwing open the door, I climbed out, heading up to the apartment not knowing whether he followed.

Unlocking the door to our apartment, I expected to see Emmett and Rose snuggled up in the couch, watching one of the many shows they kept on the DVR, but the living room was empty. Edward's blankets from the night before were folded and sitting on the armrest. Shifting my eyes away from them, I walked straight into our bedroom, tossing my bag in the corner.

"Am I allowed in here?" Edward asked, pausing in the doorway.

Sighing, I looked over my shoulder at him. "I didn't tell you to leave last night, you made that choice without me. I'm gonna take a shower."

Kicking off my shoes, I headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. While the water warmed, I stripped off my clothes, dropping them in the hamper. My body ached from the cool night air and sleepless nights, my head throbbed, and my eyes burned from trying to keep my tears from falling. Pulling the shower curtain back, I stepped in, rolling my shoulders under the heated water.

After letting the water beat on my muscles for several minutes, I finished my shower, and dried off. Wrapping my towel around my body, I walked back into our room, stopping in the doorway. Sitting on my nightstand was a cup of soup and two grilled cheese sandwiches. Looking over, I found Edward's uniform hanging on the back of the door, but he wasn't in the room. Tossing my towel on the floor, I pulled on a pair of panties and my nightgown. Sliding under the covers, I turned away from the food, hugging Edward's pillow to my chest. For the second night in a row, I cried myself to sleep.

**PRESENT DAY**

My head ached, my body screamed in protest when I tried to move. Tried being the key word. My hands had been pulled behind my back, and I could feel the sharp edge of my desk digging into my back. Snapping my eyes opened, I looked around frantically searching out the man who'd been making my life hell for the last five hours. Dwyer still sat on the cabinets, his legs stretched out in front of him, and his arms folded across his chest. His fingers were still wrapped tightly around the gun in his hand.

Wincing, I tried to shift my position, but found it was hard to move. Dwyer had tied my hands behind my back, making impossible for me to defend myself. The only comfort I took was in the fact that my clothes were still on, leading me to believe that he hadn't taken advantage of my unconscious state, something I expected from him. He hadn't hidden his intentions to make sure I suffered for being a pain in his ass. I willed him with my mind to press the barrel against the side of his head, and end both of our suffering. He didn't, though. A coward through and through, he preferred to take his anger out on those weaker than him.

"Well, well, look who's awake." Standing up, he laughed, stretching his arms over his head.

His grungy gray t-shirt lifted, exposing the top of his jeans, now missing his belt. Suppose, I knew now what he had used to tie my hands behind me. Walking over to me, he knelt next to me, pressing the tip of his gun against the side of my head, right where I'd hit it when he slung me to the floor. Again. I stifled my outcry, knowing he'd only take pleasure in knowing he caused me pain. He was a sick son of a bitch.

"I was starting to think you were really hurt."

"Like you would care if you did," I muttered, leaning away from him. Reaching out, his fingers grip my chin, forcing my head back in his direction. "Ah."

"You're the stupidest little bitch I've ever met," he hissed. His nails cut into my skin. "You'd think by now, you'd have learned to shut your mouth, whore."

"Guess, I'm just too fucking stubborn," I gritted. "You're a piece of shit."

"Maybe," he admitted, releasing my face. However, his hand dropped to my shoulder, where his fingers traced across the collar of my ivory blouse. "Here I was, trying to be a gentleman and not fuck you like a whore in heat while you were sleeping, and this is the thanks I get."

Whimpering, I tried to move when his fingers slid down my chest, playing with the buttons. Lifting his eyes to mine, he undid one, then another, and another until my shirt hung open before him. Inhaling he looked down at my breasts, moaning. Bile rose in my throat, I struggled not to lose it. The only man who'd ever touched me like this was Edward.

My cell phone, which was tucked into his back pocket, went off, causing him to pull his hand away. Inwardly, I cried, both feeling relieved and terrified over the situation. Knowing he'd come back for me when he was done, I tried to steel my nerves, telling myself that for now at least I was safe. Leaving me with my chest exposed, he stood up and pulled the phone out, flipping it open.

"WHAT?" he yelled. His expression changed from one of annoyance to amusement. "Well, hello, Edward...Oh, I can assure you that your little whore is perfectly fine. In fact, she and I have been getting to know each other. I can see why you're with her, she has quite the mouth."

Laughing, Dwyer pulled the phone away from his ear. I could hear Edward's voice coming through, but couldn't make out the words he was yelling. "Edward, don't listen to him!" I screamed, pulled against the binds around my hands, desperate to get to him.

In a heartbeat, Dwyer was by my side again, his gun pressed to the side of my head. "That's enough from you, whore." Putting the phone back against his ear, he said, "Now, what is it you want, Edward? Your little whore and I were right in the middle of something, if you catch my drift...No, the only way she's coming out of here is if my son is brought to me. Period. Quite frankly, I've about had enough of this shit. You have two hours to get my boy here, or your little woman will end up with a bullet between her eyes. The clock is ticking, Edward, I suggest you hurry."

Closing the phone, he shoved it back into his pocket, turning back to me. I know, based on the look in his eyes, that regardless if they brought his son here or not, I'd never leave this room alive.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry for the delay, but, yeah. I wouldn't expect an update in at least two weeks, if not longer. With the holidays coming, life has gotten a bit insane. **


	19. Chapter 19

** EPOV -** **PRESENT DAY**

Slamming my phone shut, I clamped my lips together in an effort to stifle the scream nestled in my throat. Hearing that bastard talk like that to her—knowing he was touching her and there was nothing I could to do to stop him, destroyed me.

"Edward," Jasper called, pulling my attention away from the asshole on the other side of the door. Pushing myself off the swing, I walked over to where he stood with Captain Davis and James McAvoy. Jasper patted me on the shoulder before, turning back to James. "Tell him."

"Tell me what?" I asked, shifting my eyes between all of them.

"Now that all the kids are safe, we can go in and take this son of a bitch out," James replied, keeping his eyes off of mine. Pointing to a set of blue prints, he continued to speak, "There's an underground maintenance system that runs under D-Wing. We can send one team in there, which will give us access to D103, the room next to Bella's. Then, we can set a team here." He gestured to the door leading into Bella's classroom. "Now, once both teams are in place, we can go in and take him out."

"And Bella?" I looked from him to Jasper, before turning to Captain Davis. "Who's going to make sure she's safe before you go blazing in?"

"We're hoping that Mrs. Cullen will be out of the way, but we don't know her exact placement in the room," James explained.

"Hope?" I snarked, slamming my hand into the middle of the plans. "You hope? You'd better do more than fucking hope! Can't you get some eyes in there first?"

"No, we can't." He sighed, lifting his eyes to mine. "With the way the room is arranged, we'll only have, at most, three minutes once the teams are in place."

Closing my eyes, I ran my hand through my hair, taking a deep breath. "Look, she's everything to me."

"Cullen," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes. "I know, but if we don't go in soon, we're going to lose what little daylight we have left, and then, we're going to be stuck until dawn. Personally, I'd rather not wait twelve fucking hours to take this asshole out. The last thing we need is to try to get in there with nothing more than flashlights. You've got to trust us."

Shaking my head, I muttered, "No offensive, James, but there are few people I trust in this world, and the most important one is sitting on the other side of that door. Now, I'm asking you if when we go bursting in there, are you going to make sure that my wife comes out alive?"

"I will do everything I can." Searching his eyes, I found nothing, but sincerity in them.

However, this was my Bella and I knew that was the best I was going to get. Sighing, I nodded, "Fine, which team am I on?"

"You're not going in," he groused.

"You're fucking delusional if you think I'm not going in," I snarled, reaching over and grabbing the front of his shirt.

Jasper made a move to grab me, but Captain Davis threw his arm out and stopped him. "Calm down, children. James, I think you can find room on one of your teams for Cullen."

"Yes, sir," James gritted out. I released him, pushing him away from me. "You can join Baker's team in the tunnels, but if I find out that you've gotten in the way, I'll personally kick your ass."

"Fine," I quipped.

Turning, I headed over to get ready. "Cullen," Captain Davis Hollered. I looked back at him. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I'll try not to."  
Heading over to join the guys in Baker's team, I grabbed a flack jacket, strapping it on. Jasper bumped into me when he reached grabbed one. I didn't need to ask him what he was doing. I already knew. Bella was important to all of us—in one way or another.

Half an hour later, Jasper and I followed Baker and his team down into the maintenance tunnels. They were small, hardly wide enough for two men to walk through. The air was thick with anticipation and tension. Bile rose in my throat with each step that we took. I had to get her out of there and back home with me, where she'd be safe.

"_If you don't like it, you can leave."_

Flinching, the last words I said to her came rushing back to me, burning into my soul. I'd never be able to take those words back—I knew this—but I could spend the rest of my life making it up to her. And, damn it, I would—one way or another.

After several minutes, we stopped at the base of an iron ladder. Baker shifted and motioned that he was going up. Nodding our confirmation, we waited our turns before following him up. Once everyone was inside the small storage room just off the preschool rooms, we made our away across and into the boys bathroom that joined the two rooms. Setting up on either side of the doors, Baker let James know we were in position. Getting the go ahead to proceed, Baker wrapped his fingers around the handle, and counted to three with his other hand.

_Here we go._

**SEVEN YEARS AGO**

After hours of laying on the couch, wishing sleep would come, I pushed myself off the couch. I walked down the hallway, stopping outside the door. Leaning one hand on the frame, I gripped the doorknob, willing myself to open it and go in to where she slept. My heart pleaded with me to go inside and ease the dull ache; while my head argued that she'd overreacted. She hadn't, but I looked for any excuse to defend my childish behavior.

Shaking my head, I pushed away from the door, walking back into the living room and plopping down on the sofa. Grabbing my shoes, I shoved my feet inside, not bothering to tie the laces. I snatched my keys off the coffee table, leaving the apartment in a rush. Running down the back steps, I headed straight to Bella's car. Popping the hood, I took a look around, trying to figure out what was going on.

I was an ass. The biggest ass I'd ever been, and that was saying something. I wished I could have been laying in bed with Bella, holding her snugly in my arms, but I wasn't because I was stupid and stubborn. She hadn't asked for much from me, just for me to listen to her, show her how proud I was of her. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. I'd fucked everything up, and I was terrified that I'd never be able to make it up to Bella. Damn it, I needed her.

"What are you doing?" Sighing, I turned and found Bella standing behind me. She had one of my sweat shirts on along with a pair of plaid pajama pants. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head; but what stood out the most to me were her eyes. Dark circles hung loosely, pain and hurt filled them. "It's really early."

"I know," I muttered, turning back to her car. "Just thought I'd see what was wrong with it."

"Did you suddenly learn about cars?" Her tone was teasing, and I really wanted to laugh with her, but the guilt of knowing that I'd hurt her weighted too heavily on my heart.

"No, just thought I'd see," I repeated, regretting the harshness in my words. Sighing, I shook my head. "Try to start it up."

"Alright," she murmured. Moving past me, she climbed into the car, trying to start it up. Nothing. She climbed back out, closing the door behind her. "So what's the verdict?"

"I don't fucking know," I grumbled, slamming the hood down. Turning, I leaned against it, crossing my arms in front of me.

Bella moved over, leaning against the wall across from the front of her car. Folding her arms in front of her, she mimicked my position, waiting for me to offer something up to her. There were so many words just sitting on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't get myself to say them. Why was it so hard to tell her I was sorry? Lifting my hand, I ran it through my hair again.

"You're going to go bald if you keep doing that." Shifting my eyes to hers, I noticed the smirk resting on her lips. "And baby, as much as I love you, I just don't think the bald look would work on you."

"You still love me?" I asked, desperation in my tone.

"Of course I do." Sighing, she pushed away from the wall and stepped up in front of me. "But you hurt me and I don't understand why."

Placing my hands on her hips, I drew her to me, leaning my forehead on her shoulder. "I don't even know. I love you and how hard you work for every grade. Guess, I just felt like you were bragging or something."

"You asked me how my day was so I told you," she muttered, snuggling into me. "All I have is school."  
"What do you mean?" Leaning back, I searched her eyes.

Bella huffed. "You're off at the academy, learning everything you need to in order to become a cop, and I'm blabbering about some stupid paper over Shakespeare. It's not exactly very exciting."

Opening my mouth several times, I tried to find the right words, but instead, I ended up throwing my head back and laughing. She glared before spinning on her heel and trying to walk away. I reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to me. "Bella, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"No, it's not," she grumbled, gripping the front of my shirt. "You're out there, being all adult and everything, while I'm stuck in school."

"Adult?" I snorted. "Me?"

"Yes, you," she said, rolling her eyes. "Edward, you've finally figured out who you want to be and instead of waiting around, you're out there doing it."

"So are you," I rebuffed. "You study harder than anybody. You're going to graduate in a few years and get a job teaching little squirts how to read and shit."

"If I can afford to keep going to school," she muttered, placing her foot on the bumper of her car.

"Hey, look at me," I ordered, tilting her head back. "You are going to finish school and become the best goddamn teacher there is."

"Edward, I'm going to have to find a second job so I can fix my car. Between it and the library, I'm going to barely have time to study and if I don't keep my grades up, I'll lose my scholarship."

"Baby, I promise you that I will not let that happen." I titled her head back, looking her directly in the eye. She started to disagree with me, but I clamped my mouth down on hers before she could utter another word. Moaning, she melted into me, her rebuttal forgotten.

Wrapping my arms around her, I lifted her off the ground. Bella wrapped her legs around my waist, grinding herself against me. Somehow, I managed to stumble my way back into the building. Pulling my lips from hers. I pressed her against the wall, burying my face in her neck.

"Fuck, Edward," she groaned, weaving her fingers in my hair. Slipping my hands under her shirt, I cupped her breasts, kneading them. "Edward, oh my god!"

Moving my arms around her, I pulled us always from the wall and stumbled up the stairs backward. I only managed to take three steps or so before I tripped, falling back. "OH FUCK!" I yelled. The edge of the stairs dug into my back and legs. "That fucking hurt."

"Edward, are you okay?" she laughed, straddling me.

"Yeah," I groaned, pushing my hips up into her. "Just injured my pride."

"Aw, poor baby," she purred, lowering her lips to the outside of my ear. "Want me to lick your wounds for you?"

"Very much so," I muttered.

She scrambled off of me, grabbing my hand and giving it a hard tug. "Well, come on, lover."

Bella released my hand and took off upstairs. Growling, I chased after. Her tinkering laughter wafting down to me. It was music to my ear, seeping deep into my soul. I caught her just before she reached the door to our apartment. Spinning her to face me, I pressed her against the wall again, this time caging her in my arms. Running the tip of my nose across her jaw, I stopped just outside her ear. She shivered against me, her hands coming up to rest on my chest. My cock swelled at her touch, needing to be in her.

"Baby, I want to fuck you," I whispered. She gasped. "I want to bend you over the bed and take you from behind. I want to hear you beg me to go harder, faster. I want to hear my name pour out of your lips as you scream it while you cum just for me."

"Edward," she whimpered, pressing her body against mine.

Inhaling sharply, I dropped my hand down to her ass, cupping her cheek firmly. Rolling us to the side, I dug the key out of my pocket and unlocked the door, all while keeping my eyes locked on hers. She memorized me with every breath she took, every eyelash she batted at me. The door slammed against the wall, but I didn't care. All I could think about was getting Bella into our room and worshiping her body, making sure she knew how much I loved her, wanted her, needed her.

Cradling her against me, I walked us into the apartment, reaching out with my foot and kicking the door shut. Her fingers found their way to my hair, tugging me away while pulling me closer at the same time. Hitting the wall, she giggled, tearing her lips from mine. "Come on, lover, don't make me wait any longer."

"Oh, shit," snickered Emmett. Jumping away from her, I spun around finding him and Rose sitting at the table, two cups of coffee in front of them. "I'd say they made up."

"So it would seem." Standing up, Rose grabbed her coffee and walked over to me, squaring her shoulders. "I should kick your ass for hurting her."

"Rose," Bella hissed, embarrassment filling her eyes.

"But I won't, because for some reason that girl loves you," Rose added, waving her off. "However, remember this, Edward, I know how to gut you like a fish."

"You're not as scary as you think you are, Rosalie," I bit back, regretting the words immediately.

"Oh, sure I am, lover-boy," she snarked, placing the tip of her finger in the middle of my chest. I automatically flinched back. "And we both know it."

Rose laughed and walked past me, making sure to brush her shoulder against mine. Struggling to contain his laughter, Emmett followed her: saying nothing, but clapping me on the shoulder on his way past me. That was my brother for you, though.

"Well, that was...awkward," muttered Bella, biting on her bottom lip.

"Hmm," I hummed my agreement.

Bringing my hand up to run my hand through my hair, I smiled when Bella grabbed it, pulling it down. "Come on, Baby, I believe you have a list of things you want to do to me and my pussy is so wet right now."

"Bella," I growled, spinning her back into my arms. "You're being a little tease."

"It's not teasing if I intend to let you do each and every one of them," she purred, nipping at my ear.

My cock hardened again, straining to find it's way home. Grabbing her ass again, I lifted her off the ground, carrying her down the hallway and into our bedroom. In a furry, we tore each other's clothes off, desperate to feel skin against skin. Once we were both naked, Bella wrapped her fingers around my shaft. She dropped to her knees, snaking her tongue out and wrapping it around the tip.

"Baby, please," I urged, grabbing the back of her head.

"What do you want?" she cooed, looking up at me with innocent eyes.

"Your mouth...please," I stammered, struggling not to jam my cock between her lips. Not wasting any time, her lips parted and she slid me in, nestling me into her throat. My head back and I sighed. "So fucking amazing."

Bella hummed around me before slipping most of my cock out, swirling her tongue around the head. As she started bobbing on me, I wove my fingers into her hair. Her hands rested on my thighs, letting me have my way with her. I kept my eyes on her lips, watching as I slipped into her warm, wet mouth.

Reluctantly, I pulled her off my cock, taking a raspy breath. "Fuck, baby, I'm gonna cum soon," I groaned, dragging her to her feet, "and I really want to be inside of your when I do."

A wicked smile spread over her lips when she turned so that her back was against me. Bending at the waist, she placed her elbows on the bed, rubbing herself against me. "You want me like this, baby?"

I groaned, grabbing her hips. "Oh, fuck yes, baby." Without warning her, I slid into her, filling her to the brink in one fluid motion. Almost immediately she clenched down around me. It took every bit of my control not to let go and cum right them. "Damn it, baby, how can you always be so fucking tight."

Slipping out, I slammed back into her, the sound of our bodies meeting echoing around inside our room. Bella groaned as I set a fast pace, truly pounding into her. It wasn't often that I let go like this and just took her, but the need to make sure she felt how much I lusted after her body—how much I needed her—overwhelmed me. Sliding my hands up her back, I traced her spine. She shivered, meeting my thrusts. Tangling my fingers in her hair, I pulled her head back, causing the angel in which I filled her to change. My eyes rolled back when I hit a new depth.

"More, Edward," she pleaded. "Give me more!"

"Say. My. Name. Again." I punctuated each word with a shift of my hips.

"Edward," she grunted, her fingers curving around the discarded blankets.

"Again," I demanded.

"Edward," she cried, her walls quivering around my cock.

Pulling on her hair, I dug my fingers into her hips, and growled, "Again."

"EDWARD!" she screamed, clenching around me.

The feeling of her wrapped around me was enough to send me over the edge. I stilled my hips, releasing inside of her with a groan. We collapsed on the bed, our bodies still tangled up together. Reaching over, she grabbed the blanket, covering our bodies.

Bringing her hand back, she grabbed the back of my head and looked back at me. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," I whispered, before kissing her. "I missed holding you like this."

"I missed being in your arms," she murmured. "I felt lost without you."

"Can you forgive me for being such an ass?" I struggled to keep from begging.

"Well, seeing as I just let you fuck me," she smiled, "I suppose all is forgiven. But, Edward, don't leave me like that again, okay? Even when we're fighting, I need you to hold me in your arms, keeping me safe."

"I promise," I whispered, brushing the tears off her cheeks. "Forever."

Tightening my arms around her, I vowed to keep my promise to her and hold her in my arms every night.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Wow, this chapter was an emotional one for me. Thank you for all the patient while I dealt with real life, the holidays, and trying to get the book, Life is More Than Candy Hearts, that Laura Braley, Michele Richard, and I are releasing the first of February. I truly appreciate everything you've all done for me.**

**Oh, and don't hate me for the cliffie...I'm evil like that.**


	20. Chapter 20

**BPOV-SEVEN YEARS AGO**

Sitting at the help desk in the library, I stared at the bank statement in my hands. The negative balance made me cringe. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn't seem to catch up. That wasn't even including what I needed to fix my car. The entire computer system had shorted out and it was going to cost me several hundred dollars to fix, not that it was worth that much. With zero cash in my account, there was no way I'd be getting it fixed anytime soon. Pulling my lip in between my teeth, I tried to keep the tears back. I was a failure.

For three months I'd been struggling to make ends meet. I really needed a second job, but between my heavy course load and my hours at the library, I barely had time to do any studying. With my scholarship on the line, I couldn't risk letting my grades drop. My future was rode on my success at school.

"Isabella, didn't your shift end half an hour ago?" Carmen asked, coming out of her office. I quickly hid my bank statement.

I put on my best smile and looked back at her. "Edward doesn't get done at the Academy until five and he's picking me up."

She nodded, before digging in her purse. "You know that if you ever need anything, you can call me, don't you, Isabella? I do mean anything, darling."

"I know. Thank you," I replied.

"You're welcome," she murmured, brushing my hair behind my ear. "I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest, darling. You work too hard."

"I'll try." Pleased, she walked around the desk and out of the library. Opening my bank statement again, I brought my finger up to my lip, nibbling on my nail. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but if I didn't figure something out soon, I'd be in big trouble.

Stuffing my statement back into my bag, I pushed away from the desk and headed into the bathroom. Edward and I had made plans to go out to dinner with Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. It'd been months since we'd had more than five minutes together, and thought dinner would be nice. Of course, it would be nice if I could afford to actually eat again.

It took me a few minutes to get cleaned up, running my brush through my hair and touching up my makeup. I had a little black dress in my bag, but I wasn't in the mood to change into it. What was the point? So I could look like I had more than I did? Honestly, all I really wanted was to go home, climb into our bed with a cup of coffee and Edward. Maybe we'd even watch a movie.

Heaving a wistful sigh, I dropped my hairbrush back into my bag and walked out of the bathroom. Since I still had at least twenty minutes before Edward would be here to pick me up, I stowed my bag back under the desk and grabbed the book return cart. Figured I might as well keep myself busy while I waited. It wasn't like Mike would do any real work, either.

I'd just checked in the last of the books when the library doors slid open and Edward came strolling in. "Baby, are you ready?" He looked incredible in a pair of black jeans and a white dress shirt. The top two buttons had been left undone and instead of tucking it in, he'd left it out. Those factors along with the way he had his sleeves had been rolled up, he'd never looked sexier. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing." My cheeks flushed. I reached under the counter and grabbed my bag. "Let's go."

Edward smirked, taking my bag from me. Yeah, the bastard knew I'd been checking him out. He kept his hand on the small of my back as we made our way across campus to where his car was parked. For the last three months, I had to rely on him or Alice in order to make it to class on time. Sometimes, Edward would catch a ride with Jasper and I could just borrow his car, but on the days when he had to work, Edward needed it. Alice was always willing to give me a lift, but her schedule was so different than mine that it made it hard to get to campus on time. Ever since my father got sick, I had to be the one that paid our bills, made sure the house didn't blow up, and, now, I was on the verge of losing everything. Not that I had much to lose.

"Baby, where are you going?" Edward tugged on my hand causing me to stop.

I looked back at him, noticing that I'd bypassed his car. Sighing, I shook my head. "Sorry."

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, slipping his arm around my waist.

"Nothing," I lied. "I'm just tired."

"Too tired to go out tonight?"

"Kind of," I muttered, dropping my eyes from his.

Edward sighed. "Bella, look at me." Though reluctant, I shifted my attention up to him. "What's going on? And don't even think about lying to me."

"You know what's going on," I mumbled, my embarrassment weighing heavily.

"Baby, you know that I'm buying our dinner," he said. I started to protest, but he stopped me by capturing my lips with his_. Such a cheater_. "Let me pay because I love you."

"You don't play fair," I whispered, resting my hand on his chest, the tip of my finger slipping into his shirt.

He smirked, kissing me again. "Never said I did, baby."

"Fine, but I don't like it."

"Duly noted," he scoffed, walking me over to his car. "Just have fun tonight and don't worry."

"Okay." While I agreed, we both knew my worries weren't going to go away just because he wanted them to. I lived in the real world where life cut you off at the knees and happily ever after didn't always exist.

Half an hour later, we arrived at a small bar named R&R. Edward parked his car next to Emmett's jeep and instructed me to stay. I smiled when he ran around to the passenger side and opened my door, offering me his hand. Anytime I had the chance to touch him whether it was just our fingers woven together or our bodies in the throw of passion, I never got tired of the feeling he evoked in me.

We headed inside, finding the others at a table in the back. Emmett and Jasper already had two empty beer bottles in front of them while a third one was half full in their hands. Rose and Alice were sitting next to each other, giggling and pointing out toward the make-shift dance floor. Following their line of sight, I buried my face in Edward's shoulder. A boy, who couldn't be old enough to legally be in this bar, had his arms wrapped around a woman who was easily three times his age. They pawed over each other, their mouths working hard against the others. I shook my head, trying to calm myself, but there were just things that one couldn't unseen, no matter how desperate we were.

"Bella!" Alice squealed, rushing around the table. She clipped her hip on the edge, falling into my open arms. "Son of a bitch."

"Ali, honey, are you okay?" Jasper was at her side in heartbeat, encasing her in his arms. "Did that mean, ole table hurt you again?"

She giggled, leaning up on her toes and kissing him. "Yes, baby, will you make it all better?"

"You know I will," he growled, crushing his mouth against hers. His tongue slipping into her mouth didn't go unnoticed by any of us.

"Dude!" Emmett yelled, grabbing one of his arms and dragging him away from Alice. "That's my sister." He pushed him into his chair. "Show us some goddamn respect."

"Fuck you, asshole," Alice snarked, smacking him on the back of the head. "He's my husband and if he wants to kiss me, he can. Hell, I might even let him fuck me right here."

Beside me, Edward cringed into me, a gagging noise erupting from his chest. I struggled not to laugh, knowing how difficult it was for him to even think about that fact that his sister was married and did indeed have sex. Though, I wasn't sure why. Alice and Jasper had never hidden their boisterous love life, no matter how much we begged them to.

"Alice," Emmett gritted out, slamming his fist on the table. The beer bottles toppled over, rolling toward the edge. He reached out and scooped them up before they could fall. "I do not need to hear about your fucking sex life."

"Oh, but Em, he does this thing with his tongue…" Before she could finish tormenting her oldest brother, Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. She melted into his embrace, her words left forgotten. Edward pulled out one of the chairs, motioning for me to take a seat. He settled next to me, draping his arm on the back. Emmett glared at Alice and Jasper, who'd forgotten the rest of us were sitting right there. I envied their carefree ways.

Our waitress, a tall, thin woman with long red hair and bright blue eyes, brought a new round of drinks over, setting a bottle of beer in front of Emmett and Jasper while Rose and Alice got some type of fruity drink with umbrellas in them. Tucking her tray up under her arm, she smiled and looked over at Edward and I. "Looks like we've got a couple of late arrivals. What can I get you two to drink?"

"Beer," Edward ordered at the same time I said, "Water."

He looked down at me, cocking an eyebrow before he continued, "Do you have burgers?"

"Best in the city," she laughed. "Want a couple?"

"Yes, please, no lettuce on one and no onions on either of them," I replied, drawing her attention to me.

"Okay, want some fries?"

"Yes," Edward said, while I told her, "No, thank you."

"Which is it? Yes or no?" She asked, her smile growing.

"Yes, two orders." Before I could argue with him, he moved his arm from around me, grabbing my hand.

Our waitress noted our order on her pad before looking over at me; her eyes dragged the length of my body, pausing for a moment on my breasts. "Sure you don't want something a little stronger than water, honey?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." I tore my eyes from hers, my blush creeping up.

"Just let me know." She winked at me before tucking her order pad into the back pocket of her jeans, which she made sure she showed all of us. As she walked away, I heard everyone start laughing.

Everyone, but Edward.

He was too busy pouting over me trying to keep the price of our meal down. For him, it was easy. He'd grown up in with money. There wasn't much he wanted for, and until his parents cut him off, he didn't have to worry about how he was going to pay for school, or pay for his dinner. Even now, Carlisle and Esme had come around, depositing large amounts of money in their bank accounts. At first, Edward had been resistant to accept their help, stating that they couldn't buy his forgiveness. They didn't, not by a long shot, but they helped provide the stability he needed to focus his attention on the academy without worrying about how he was going to pay his bills. He had no idea how lucky he was to have parents that could help—even if they were assholes.

A moment later, our waitress came back, dropping mine and Edward's drinks off. Bringing the bottle up to his lips, he downed half of it before slamming it on the table. Yeah, he was pissed with me.

Throwing his head back, Emmett broke through the silence that had settled at our table by letting out a loud belch.

"Ew," Alice whined, smacking him on the back of the head...again. "Dude, really?"

"Stop hitting me," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "I had to get it out. If I hadn't, my gut would have exploded. You wouldn't want that on your conscience, would you?"

"You're so fucking stupid." Alice hiccupped, before picking up her drink and taking a long draw through her straw.

"It's true." Emmett shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Rose. "Right, baby?"

She smiled before leaning in and kissing him. "If you say so."

Alice rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with him. Looking over at Edward, I noticed him staring out at the dance floor. Bringing my other hand up, I wrapped my fingers around his bicep. He turned, letting his eyes find mine. "Dance with me?" I whispered.

He answered with a simple nod. Standing up, I kept his hand in mine, leading him through the crowd until we found a secluded spot. Edward slipped his arms around my body, holding me against him and dropping his face into the side of my neck. I shivered from the contact. As our bodies moved together, Edward's hands roamed, almost like he was trying to commit every inch of me to memory. My fingers trickled up his arms, sliding into his hair. His moan reverberated from deep inside his chest, sending a tingle through me. He had no idea what he did to me, how much I needed him.

Dropping his hand down to my ass, he cupped my cheek, squeezing hard. A throaty groan slipped from between his lips. He leaned his down on my forehead. "Marry me."

**PRESENT DAY**

Dwyer knelt down next to me again, bringing the gun back up and pressing it under my chin. I whimpered, which only made him smile. "I'll give that man of yours some credit; he does seem to love you." Pausing, he brought his hand down to my knee, dragging his finger across my skin before slowly inching his way up my thigh. I swallowed against the bile creeping up my throat. "Too bad he's not in here, though. I'd love to see his face when I fuck you like the whore you are."

"He's gonna kill you," I gritted out, clenching my jaw tight. "No matter what you do to me, he's gonna put a bullet in you."

Dwyer smiled and reached up, gripping my jaw between his abrasive fingers. "Aw, sugar, if your man had any balls, he'd have saved you by now. Where is he? He's outside, probably fucking some other whore right now."

I tried hard not to flinch, but I couldn't hide it. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to voicing the same concerns to myself. With all the extra hours Edward had supposedly been working, not to mention the nights that he had gone out with Emmett or Jasper, a part of me wondered if he'd finally realized how much better he would be without me weighing him down.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" he cackled, releasing my face. With my blouse hanging open, his fingers found the top of my bra. I tried to move away from him, but the belt wrapped my arms prevented me from moving more than an inch. Lifting his eyes to mine, he smirked. "You like it when I touch you, don't you?"

I didn't reply, knowing anything I said would just egg him on. Dwyer slipped his hand into my bra. I clamped my lips together, stifling the cry inside my head. A smirk spread over his lips. He got off on tormenting me, making sure that I suffered for just existing.

The window on my classroom door shattered, pulling his attention away from me. A smoke grenade flew through the empty frame, rolling toward us until it hit the bottom of my foot. Dwyer cursed under his breath and pulled a knife out of his back pocket, cutting through the leather belt wrapped around my arms. The room began filling with dark, wisps of smoke. Yanking me to my feet, he used me as a shield and scrambled into a corner. The front door and the door to the bathroom were thrown opened. I could barely make out the silhouettes of the dozen or so men that scrambled into my room.

Time slowed down and their voices muted as they yelled for Dwyer to surrender. His breath wafted across my skin, sending a sickening feeling into the pit of my stomach. His chest vibrated as a hearty chuckle rumbled out of him. I whimpered, unable to keep the fear at bay. "This is it," he whispered, his lips brushing on the outside of my ear. "Time to play."

Dwyer pushed me out of the way while lifting his gun at the same time. Curling up on the floor, I cringed away from the sounds of gunfire. A sharp pain ripped through me just moments before a body fell on top of me. A wrenching scream poured out between my lips just moments before everything went dark.

**Thank you for all the reviews.** **Our first release, Life is More Than Candy Hearts, will be available as an e-book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble in the upcoming week. You can search for Lisa Bilbrey (me), Laura Braley, or Michele Richard. While you're looking, check out Michele's other two books, Mocked by Destiny and Mocked by Faith. Both are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, TWCS publishing house, and Lulu. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM or find me on FB under Butterfly Betty Fanfiction. **


	21. Chapter 21

**EPOV-PRESENT DAY **

It felt like we were stepping inside a warzone. The moment the door opened, all hell broke loose. I barely caught a glimpse of my Bella being dragged into the corner of her classroom by that fucking asshole before the first shot registered in my mind. Choking back the bile creeping into my throat, I dropped to the floor, crawling in her direction and praying that I wouldn't lose her, not before I could make up for being an insufferable asshole to her last night. Not just last night, but for the last few weeks, or maybe even months.

In a heartbeat everything stopped. Dropping my weapon on the floor, I pushed my way past everyone in front of me with one goal in mind: find Bella.

With a hard shove, I stepped past Baker, nearly vomiting at the site before me. Bella lay in the middle of the floor, her head flopped to the side and, who I could only assume to be Dwyer, lying over her lower body. Grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt, I barely had time to register the handful of gaping holes in his torso before I tossed him aside. Falling to my knees, my worst fear became true. Bella had been shot.

"She's been hit!" I yelled, covering the bleeding wound in her abdomen. Her warm blood trickled over my fingers. "Baby, open your eyes."

Nothing.

"BELLA!" I screamed, bringing one of my hands up to her face, and cupping her cheek. "Baby, please don't leave me!"

"Edward, move," Jasper groused, grabbing my arms and pulling me out of the way.

Three paramedics took my place next to her. Sliding to the floor once again, I tucked my arms into my stomach, watching as they tried to save her life. While they assessed her condition, Jasper dropped his arms from around me, but stayed right there, offering what little support he could. There was nothing he could offer me; I needed her, just her.

One of the paramedics placed a tube down her throat, attaching a bag that he pumped in order to keep oxygen in her lungs. They packed her wound before loading her onto the stretcher and rolling her past the two swat teams who had been watching, waiting for any word on her condition.

Scrambling to my feet, I followed them out. Jasper was on my heels. The moment they were clear of the classroom, screams were heard from all directions. Snapping my head over, I saw Ben restraining Angela, who was fighting against him. Giving up the struggle, she dropped to her knees, taking him with her. She'd blame herself. She was too much like Bella in that regard.

"Oh my God!" Alice cried, breaking through the crowd of parents, students, and police officers watching as they wheeled my wife past them. She fell into Jasper's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

All I could focus on was my wife, my Bella. She needed me and I'd failed her, hurting her with my words and actions. It took all my control not to fall to my knees and beg God to end me for what I'd done to her. My only hope for salvation was strapped to a stretcher and being loaded into the back of an ambulance. I wanted to ride with her, but I couldn't. Instead, I climbed into the backseat of Jasper's car, letting Alice take the front. With my body curled up against the dark upholstery, I cried, pleading and bargaining with the universe to heal my Bella.

Jasper followed the ambulance to the hospital with our red light flashing. Pulling up behind them at the emergency room, he'd barely shifted into park before I was out of the car and running inside. They rolled Bella into one of the trauma room. A paramedic straddled her body, doing chest compressions. I knew enough to know that meant something bad. Bile crept up my throat once more, and I once again forced it back down.

"Hey, man, come on." Jasper wrapped his hands around the tops of my arms. I looked over my shoulder at him. "Let them work on her. They will come get you when they have her stabilized."

"Jas," I whimpered, feeling my lips tremble.

"I know," he whispered, effortlessly pulling me away from Bella's trauma room.

We settled in a couple seats in the waiting room. Alice sat next to me, one arm looped in with mine and her head on my shoulder. Emmett, Captain Davies, Ben, and Angela stumbled into the emergency room, finding empty seats around us. There were no words to speak, or promises to be made. We had nothing to offer each other, but the hope that Bella would be okay.

After an hour, my aggravation got the best of me. Shrugging Alice's arm away from mine, I stood up and walked to the back of the waiting room, placing my hands on the window pane. Flashes of her lying on the floor, her body bruised and broken ran rampant through my head. That bastard had hurt her and I hoped he'd rot in hell.

Of course he hadn't done the damage I had. No, I'd lashed out at her, making her feel unwanted. I'd failed her, letting her believe that I could handle a single minute without her in my life, which was ridiculous. Bella was the only part of my life that did make sense. From the moment she first fell into my arms, she owned my heart and soul. Would I ever get the chance to tell her how much I loved her again?

"Edward," Rose called. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her rushing into the emergency room, her suitcase trailing behind her. Letting it go, she bypassed everyone else and nearly jumped into my arms, her hands slapping against my back. "Please tell me that she's okay?"

"I—I don't know," I wept, letting her hold me up. "Rose, I can't lose her. She's my world, my whole goddamn life."

"I know," she soothed, somehow managing to get us into a couple of empty chairs. "She's gonna be okay. She has to be."

Rose's words were just as hollow as mine were. Like me, she depended on Bella, trusting her with more than I'd ever understand. Bella and Rose were sisters, the best of friends, and losing her now would gut us both.

"Mr. Cullen?" I shifted my attention as the door to the back opened and a nurse with long, blond hair came out. She looked around the room, before her eyes landed on me. Somehow, I managed to find the strength to stand up. She crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of me. "Mr. Cullen, they've taken your wife into surgery. She had some internal bleeding and they had to move quickly."

My knees buckled, but in a heartbeat, Emmett had his arm around me, holding me up. I hardly recognized my voice as my words tumbled out, "Is she going to be okay?"

The nurse, whose nametag read Lauren, frowned. "It's too early to tell. There was a lot of damage, both from the gunshot wound and the beatings she had gone through." My breath trickled out from my mouth in a shaky hiss. "I'll take you to the surgical waiting room. I'm sorry, Mr. Cullen."

The words died out in my throat. Instead, I answered with a simple nod. Emmett dropped his arm from around me, but stayed by my side as we followed Lauren through the hospital and into the surgical waiting room. Somehow, I found myself in a seat, my arms tucked between my stomach and legs, struggling to keep the bile from falling out of my mouth.

Time seemed to stop completely, though the world outside of our small bubble didn't stop. People walked past the small, uncomfortably silent room. They peered in; questions of what had brought us here pouring from their eyes. Human nature made them curious. It was like passing an accident on the highway; you couldn't help but look. We were vultures, wanting to know more than we needed.

We'd been sitting in the waiting room for half an hour when a tall, thin woman with snow-white hair came in. She paused in the doorway, smoothing out the front of her dark power suit. Shifting her gaze around the room, she stopped on me for a half second before turning to Captain Davis.

"Excuse me for interrupting," she chirped. Her voice grated on my nerves. "I'm Irina Donaldson, Director of Public Relations for the hospital. We've had dozens of phone calls from new stations asking about the victim's condition. How—"

"Bella," I gritted out, interrupting her.

She shifted her eyes to me. "Excuse me?"

"Her name is Bella Cullen," I spat, glaring at her. "Not the victim and you can tell all those goddamn reporters to go to hell. She isn't a fucking news story."

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean in any disrespect." Though, her tone made it clear that she wasn't sorry at all. "However, they are still demanding answers and I need a statement from the police department."

I opened my mouth to offer her statement, quite a colorful one, too, but Captain Davies stood up before I could get another word our, saying, "Tell them that Mrs. Cullen is in critical condition. We are asking for their patience and understanding during this difficult and trying time."

Irina seemed satisfied with his statement. Sparing me a look of pity, she spun on her heel, stalking her way back out of the waiting room. However, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and nearly bowled over a doctor on his way inside.

"Oh, sorry, Dr. Mitchell," she purred, running a hand across his chest.

He scowled, clearly unhappy with her attention. She left and he shuddered, before coming inside the room. A couple inches taller than me, he had dark, sandy blond hair that stuck out from under his green surgical cap. Gripping the back of his neck, he shook his head and turned toward me.

"Mr. Cullen?" he asked.

My legs shook as I stood up. "Yes."

"I'm Dr. Garrett Mitchell. Please sit," he insisted, grabbing one of the chairs and pulling it over so that he was sitting in front of me. I fell back into my seat, unable to keep my legs under me anyway. Clearing his throat, he said, "Mrs. Cullen is out of surgery. The bullet nicked her spleen before getting lodged near her spine. Now, we had to remove her spleen in order to stop the internal bleeding and we were able to remove the bullet, but we won't know the full extent of the damage until she wakes up."

"Did it hit her spine?" I asked.

"It didn't appear to," he said. "However, there were other injuries that we have to watch, as well. Mrs. Cullen has two broken ribs and a hairline fracture on her skull. Now, right now, she's stable and her vitals look great for someone who's been through what she has, but the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours will be critical for her. She's got a long couple days ahead of her."

Tears filled my eyes as I asked the one question I didn't want to know the answer to, "Was she…Did he rape her?"

"It doesn't appear so, but again, until she wakes up, we won't know for certain," he replied. Nodding my head, I buried my face in my hands, trying to gain some control over myself. I'd have to believe that he didn't take that right from her, too. "When you're ready, I'll take you up to her."

"I'm ready now," I murmured.

We followed in silence, the weight of everything hanging on my shoulders. The elevator doors slid open on the fifth floor, and we followed Garrett out. Everyone else settled in the waiting room while I followed Garrett through the double doors. A couple dozen individual rooms lined against the way, glass sliding doors with long, dark curtains provided the staff with immediate entrance into each room. Taking a shaky breath, I followed him into room number five. My heart leapt in my chest.

My Bella, my beautiful Bella, laid in the bed, a breathing tube still down her throat and an IV hooked up to her. The monitor next to her showed her blood pressure, heart rate, and blood-oxygen level, not that I really knew what any of that meant. My training as a police officer was limited to the basics.

Sliding into the chair next to her bed, I reached out and took ahold of Bella's hand. Her knuckles were bruised, small cuts and scratches were embedded in her skin. Bringing her hand to my lips, I placed a soft kiss on each wound, shifting my eyes up to her face. Both sides of her jaws had deep, purple bruises. Her lips were swollen, and her eyes were dark and puffy.

"I've informed the nurses that you're allowed around the clock visitation, Mr. Cullen," Garrett said. "Please, don't hesitate to let them know if you need anything."

"All I need is her," I muttered, resting my head on the side of her bed. A moment later, he left, sliding Bella's door halfway shut. Letting my tears seep into her blankets, I held onto her hand. I never deserved to have her in my life, but I'd be damned if I'd stop fighting for her now.

**SEVEN YEARS AGO**

The minute the words tumbled out between my lips, I knew I meant them. I wanted to marry Bella. However, she froze for a split second before pulling out of my arms completely. Turning her head away from me, she crossed her arms around her torso, before pushing her way through the crowd, and leaving me standing there looking like an idiot.

Rushing after her, I caught up to her at our table, just in time to hear her mutter, "I've gotta go."

"You just got here," Alice whined. "You can't leave yet."

Bella shifted her attention back to me, a flash of pain in her eyes. "I—I can't. Sorry."

Before I could stop her, she took off through the crowd. I barely registered Alice and Rose demanding to know what had happened as I chased after her. They would just have to wait; right now, I needed to talk to Bella, to make her listen to me. Running outside, I slid to a stop, searching both directions for her. She was quicker than she looked and had already managed to get a block away. Taking off after her, I hoped she'd listen to me. Didn't she understand that I needed her?

"Bella, stop," I yelled, grabbing her arm and dragging her to a stop. She spun on her heel, pushing me away from her. I stumbled back into the building behind me. "Goddamn it, Bella, just stop!"

"Why?" she snapped, clenching her fists tightly. "Why would you say that, Edward?"

"Because I love you," I said, reaching for her again. She stepped away from me. "Baby, please."

"We're not ready for marriage, Edward," she whimpered, bringing her hand up to her heart.

"Yes, we are," I replied, grabbing her arms, ignoring the way she resisted. "Baby, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life holding you in my arms, waking up with you every morning. I want to take care of you, to make sure you never need for anything."

Closing her eyes, she placed her hands on my chest and pushed me away. "I don't want you to take care of me. I don't need you to pay for everything, Edward." Bella opened her tear-filled eyes. "I'm not some gold digging whore, looking for you to set me up in the good life."

"Is that what you think of me?" I stumbled back, the weight of her words slamming into me. "That I'm trying to buy your love? Because I'm not. Do I enjoy buying you dinner? Yes, I do, because I'd rather buy you a goddamn burger and fries than watch you eating a package of ramen noodles every fucking night. Why is that wrong?"

"It's not wrong," she argued, "but I don't like being dependent on you or anyone. I'm not that kind of girl, Edward."

"What kind of girl?" Shaking her head, she turned from me, taking a couple steps away. "Baby, what kind of girl?"

"The kind that marries for money," she whispered.

Sighing, I wrapped my arms around her, pulled her back into my arms. "I know you're not, and I am not asking you to marry me because you don't have any money."

"Then why?" she cried.

Lowering my lips to her ear, I whispered, "Because you're all I think about. You're the first thought in my head every morning, and the last every night." I slide my hand down her arm, lifting hers up to my mouth. "I want to see my ring on this finger. I want the world to know that you said yes to me and only me. I love you, Bella. Marry me."

"Edward," she wept, turning in my arms. She rested her hands on my chest. "Your parents don't want you to be with me."

"I don't give a flying fuck if they like you, baby. I love you, you're it for me. Please, marry me."

Bella lifted her eyes to mine, her bottom lip sucked in between her teeth. She began to shake her head, but I stopped her by capturing her mouth with mine. Bella moaned, her arms sliding around me. Bringing one hand to the back of her hair, I tangled my fingers in her hair, letting the other rest on the small of her back. Bella's lips parted, allowing my tongue to explore freely. Her body sang to me, begging for me to take her to bed, to worship her the way she deserved.

"Ed—Edward, stop," she stammered, tearing her mouth from mine. Ignoring her, I peppered her neck with kisses. "Baby, please!"

"Can't you feel how much I need you?" I groaned, pressing my body against hers. Of course, I meant more than just a physical need, I yearned for her soul, her heart, everything she could give. "Baby, please, marry me."

"Edward," she mewled, somehow managing to get her hands between us. Pushing me away, she took several steps back. "You don't know what you're asking."

I smiled, taking one step toward her. She whimpered, putting both her hands in front of her. "Oh, baby, I know perfectly well what I am asking. Give me one reason why you won't, and don't give me this bullshit about not being ready, because, sweetheart, we're already living together."

"You're only asking me now because I don't have the money to fix my car," she replied, lamely.

I shook my head, taking another step. "Try again, baby, because that's a fucking lie and you know it."

"Do I?" she asked, looking up at me from under her lashes.

Reaching out, I gripped her hips, nestling her back against me. "Marry me."

"Edward," she whispered.

"Marry me, Bella," I murmured. A soft cry slipped from between her lips. "I love you. Marry me."

Opening her mouth once, twice, and then a third time, she slipped her arms up around my neck. "Yes."


	22. Chapter 22

**BPOV-SIX YEARS AGO**

If you'd told me a year ago that I would sitting across next to Edward while his father lifted a glass and toasted our future together, I would have laughed in your face and called you a goddamn liar. Yet, here I was and there Carlisle was with a flute of champagne in his hand, smiling as he took in each and every one of our guests so he could charm his way through this awkward moment. Though, even I had to admit that his words sounded good to hear. Carlisle was nothing if not a fluent speaker able to captivate everyone into believing the bullshit he spewed about being happy for us.

Esme stood next to her husband, dabbing the fake tears from the corners of her eyes. The woman should have gone into acting. She had everyone in the room fooled — everyone but me, Edward, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper of course. We knew just how much Esme detested the position she was in.

Edward squeezed my hand, pulling my attention up to him. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips, his eyes sparkled, and happiness radiated off of him. Trying my hardest to return the joy that oozed off of him, I smiled in return. I wanted nothing more than to marry Edward, to be his wife and know that he'd be mine forever. I just didn't want all this pomp and circumstance that was coming with it. But then, I suppose this was what came with marrying into the Cullen family. I didn't want to be here, sitting in a room full of people that I didn't know on the eve of my wedding and pretend that everything was perfect. It wasn't, not even close, but for Edward I would do anything.

"To Edward and Isabella," Carlisle announced, turning toward the two of us. Though to anyone else, his tone would seem guanine and real, I knew better. The clipped edge that rolled off his tongue when he said my name indicated that he wasn't any happier that I sat in this room than I was. "We wish you the best."

I wrapped my fingers around the crystal flute in front of me as everyone in the room lifted theirs and echoed back his sentiment. Taking a small sip, I struggled not to drain the glass and demand another. Running the pad of my thumb over the gold band of my engagement ring, I felt my skin warm. Edward had surprised me a week after he proposed with a candle light dinner in one of the research rooms in the library. He'd conspired with Carmen in an effort to set everything up. After we ate, he turned on some music and we began dancing. Just as the notes began to fade off at the end, Edward dropped down on one knee and asked me again to marry him. Though at the time I still wasn't sure we were ready, I accepted. A tear fell from my eye when he slid the ring onto my finger. It wasn't much, a simple gold band with a small, princess cut solitaire diamond. Simple, just like me.

"Come on," Edward murmured, standing up and pulling on my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," he chuckled.

Even though I knew it wasn't a good idea, I followed him as he led me through the crowd of people I didn't know. Edward pushed open the double doors that led out to his parents back garden, looking back at me from over his shoulder. The mid-June air was warm and inviting. Releasing his hold on my hand, Edward slipped his arm around my waist, nestling me against his chest. The full moon shined down on us, pulling us away into our very own little wonderland — one where I didn't know I was a complete outcast.

"Dance with me?" he whispered, trailing his fingers down my arms, ignoring the goose-bumps that followed his trail to my hand.

"Always," I murmured, breathlessly.

Edward lifted our hands up, snuggling them between our heaving chests while his arm tightened around my waist. The soft, hypnotic music from inside the house had wafted after us. I wrapped my arm up around the back of his neck, my fingers automatically finding the base of his hairline. Edward shivered against me, a throaty moan reverberating from deep in his chest. He owned my heart, and I owned his.

"Have I told you that you look beautiful tonight?"

Nodding, I smiled. He'd told me at least ten times since we arrived and another three before we left the hotel. "But it's still nice to hear."

"Okay," he chuckled. "Well, you look very beautiful. In fact, I'm having a very hard time keeping my hands off of you, baby."

As he spoke, his hand had begun to slip down to my ass, his nimble fingers digging into my flesh. "Edward," I gasped, halfheartedly pushing against his chest. "Stop, your mother will catch us."

"Let her," he growled, playfully nibbling on my ear. "Due the woman some good to see what love really looks like."

I wiggled myself out of his embrace, laughing and smiling. "Still, it's been enough of a challenge dealing with her attitude over the wedding. Let's not make it worse."

"Bella," he groaned, but released his hold on my hips. "Fine, but tonight I am going to make you scream my name."

"Oh, no you're not." We both looked over, finding Alice and Rose standing in the doorway. Shifting her attention between the two of us, Alice said, "Edward, you're not allowed to see your blushing bride until the ceremony starts. Bella is staying with me and Rose in her room, while Emmett and Jasper watch that you don't do something stupid."

"Alice, I really don't think Edward and I need to be separated tonight," I muttered. "We've been living together for over a year, after all."

"Don't care. It's tradition," she replied, lifting her eyebrow and waiting for one of us to dare challenge her.

Sighing, I looked up at Edward. "She's your sister."

"I know," he grumbled. "I tried to sell her when I was little, but the neighbors demanded their money back."

"Ha-ha, asshole, so funny!" Alice snickered, flipping Edward off. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me against him. Alice huffed. "Look, I know it's silly, but it is a tradition. After tomorrow, you won't have to spend one more night apart. Do it for me. I didn't get that when Jas and I got married."

"Because you opted not to," I pointed out.

Alice rolled her eyes when Rose laughed. "She's got a point, Alice. You and Jasper were in such a hurry."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fine don't do it, it doesn't matter." Alice spun on her heel and stalked back into the house, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.

"I'd better go find Emmett," Rose muttered. "There's no telling what he's gotten himself into."

Edward leaned his forehead on the top of my head when Rose turned and walked back into the house. "Well, that didn't go very well."

"No shit," I whispered.

Of course this had pretty much been the story of my life over the last year. Once Edward had properly proposed to me, as he put it, we started planning what we were hoping to be a small, intimate wedding that our close friends and Edward's parents would attend. Yeah, we ended up with was so far beyond that. Rose, Emmett, and Jasper were thrilled with what we'd planned, but Alice kept going on and on about how we deserved better. More than a few times, she threw it in our faces that she and Jasper had gotten married at the Justice of the Peace, and would sulk when one of us would then point out that they'd made that choice on their own.

As if dealing with Alice hadn't been enough, Esme joined the party. Neither she nor Carlisle hid the fact that they weren't thrilled with Edward's decision to marry me, going as far as to imply that I'd gotten myself knocked up so that I could try to trap him into marrying me — ignoring us when we insisted that there wasn't a baby on the way. I thought Edward was going to rip his father's head off when Carlisle demanded that I take a pregnancy test to prove that I wasn't pregnant. Both Jasper and Emmett had to hold him back.

Of course the fact that I wasn't pregnant didn't alleviate their claims that I was only marrying Edward for his money. They presented us with a pre-nuptial agreement for me to sign. I was willing, Edward wouldn't hear of it. He ripped it into a dozen pieces and called them every name in the book. The look on Esme's face when he called her a drunk bitch who knew more about her favorite brand of vodka than her children was amusing, though it didn't help their opinion of me. I tried to calm Edward down, but it was hard. I didn't need their approval of who I was, but that didn't mean their accusations didn't sting.

"Come on, let's rejoin the party," Edward cooed, brushing his lips across my ear.

I sighed. "If we must."

"I'll protect you," he promised. I wanted to believe him, but the facts were clear: his mother had taken over our wedding and I didn't belong in this world.

Agreeing with a simple nod of my head, I wrapped my fingers around Edward's and followed inside the house. We joined everyone in the front room, thanking those who wished us happiness as we walked by. I didn't know who any of them were. Other than Edward's family, Rose, and Jasper, every person in this room was a stranger. I missed my father now more than ever. I had to believe that he'd be happy for me for finding someone that I loved, someone who loved me in return.

"Isabella, there you are, dear," Esme chirped, wrapping her talons around my upper arm and pulling me away from Edward. "There's someone I'd like for you to meet."

I looked back at Edward as his mother dragged me away. He shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he wasn't going to save me. I'd make sure he paid for that later. Esme led me through the crowd, her nails digging into my skin. I bit back the wince sitting on the tip of my tongue. The last thing I wanted was for her to know that she was hurting me — both physically and emotionally.

"Isabella, this is an old family friend, Irina Denali," Esme chirped. The woman standing before me smile as she allowed her pale blue eyes to drag down the length of my body, clearly unimpressed with the simple black dress I wore. She was stunningly beautiful woman. She had silky blond hair that had been styled perfectly into an elegant French twist. "Irina, this is Edward's fiancée, Isabella Swan."

"It's . . . wonderful to finally meet you, dear," Irina purred, trying to sound convincing. Next to her, a young woman who had to be around my age rolled her eyes. Based on the similar color, I had to assume that she was Irina's daughter. Though, her hair had a strawberry red tint to it. Irina placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, causing her scowl. "This is my daughter Tanya."

"It's lovely to meet you both," I replied, unsure of what else to say.

"Isabella, Tanya is an old classmate of Edward's," Esme explained, a sparkle in her eye. "They used to be inseparable."

"So true, Esme," Irina laughed. Tanya brought her glass up to her lips, hiding her sigh. "In fact, there was a time when we thought for sure we'd be standing here celebrating their engagement."

"Mother," Tanya gasped, snapping her attention to me. "Forgive my mother, Isabella, she's clearly not thinking before she speaks." Irina glared at Tanya. However, she waved her mother off and hooked her arm in with mine. "Let's get you a fresh drink. Something tells me that you could definitely use one."

Esme and Irina were left standing there with their months hanging wide open as Tanya led the way through the crowd toward the bar. She signaled for the bartender to bring us two fresh flutes of champagne. Looking back at me, she shoved one of them in my hands and laughed.

"You look like you think I am about to take your head off."

"Are you?" I asked, before taking a sip.

Tanya smiled. "No, I'm not, Isabella."

"Call me Bella. Only grandmother called me Isabella and she used the same tone as Esme."

"Oh, okay," she said, looking over to where her mother and Esme stood with Carlisle, and who I assumed to be her father. "You're a brave girl, Bella, coming into this family." Tanya looked back at me. "Either you really love Edward, or you're a glutton for punishment. Which is it?"

"Right now, I'm thinking it's punishment," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat up. She laughed. "Of course, I love Edward so if this is just some kind of ruse to get me to tell you otherwise, you can just go back to them now and tell them that I am not the gold digging whore they think I am."

"Whoa, Bella, I'm not a spy," Tanya insisted, putting her hand up. I scoffed. "No, seriously, I'm not. Edward's my friend. Once upon a time, he was my best friend, but there has never been anything more between us than that."

Shaking my head, I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know what to believe anymore."

"Wow, they've really gotten to you, haven't they?" Tanya hooked her arm back in with mine and started pulling me through the crowd again.

For a moment, I thought she was throwing me back into the lion's den, but instead of going to where Esme and Irina stood, she headed in the opposite direction. Edward was standing next to Emmett when we broke through the throng of people. When he spotted us, he smiled, which did nothing to alleviate my fears that there had been more between him and Tanya than she was telling. However, he bypassed her entirely and wrapped his arms around me, capturing my lips in a searing kiss.

"Edward, dude, go find a room," Emmett teased, grabbing Edward's shoulder and yanking him back.

"Fuck off, Em," Edward groused, shrugging his hand away. Edward brought his fingers up to my face. "Are you okay? My mother didn't say anything rude, did she?"

"No, she felt the need to introduce me to Tanya, though," I said.

Rolling his eyes, Edward looked over his shoulder at Tanya. "T."

"Edward, I can't believe you'd let your mother do that to her," Tanta scolded him, crossing her arms in front of her. "Seriously, I thought you loved her."

"Fuck off, T," Edward jibed. "I'm surprised that you're even here. Thought you'd still be in New York, surrounded by angry chicks."

"Trust me, I'd much rather be back there, but mother threatened to come visit me so here I am," Tanya explained. Sighing, she drank the last of her champagne and grabbed a fresh glass from a passing server. Looking over at me, she smiled. "You're way too innocent to be getting yourself mixed up in this mess, Bella. Maybe you should save yourself the hassle and leave now."

"Gee, thanks, Tanya," Edward muttered, holding me a little tighter.

"Just saying," she murmured, shifting her attention away from me. "Hmm, who is that by Alice?"

Emmett, Edward, and I looked over to see who she was talking about. I about choked on my tongue when I saw her pointing to Rose, who was standing next to Alice, Jasper, and his parents. Devlin and Marcy Whitlock had welcomed me and Rose into their family.

Emmett threw his head back and laughed. "That's my Rose. Don't even think about it, Tanya."

"How's a sweet ass like that end up with an asshole like you?" Tanya snickered. Rose looked over, bringing her hand up and running it through her hair before excusing herself and walking to where we stood. It might have been my imagination, but it sounded like Tanya moaned.

"Hey, baby," Rose cooed, sliding her hand up to the back of Emmett's neck and bringing his mouth down to hers. We stood by awkwardly as they made out. After a couple of minutes, Edward cleared his throat, causing Rose to giggle and look right at Tanya. In an instant, her eyes hardened. "That's right, bitch, he's mine."'

"Ew, like I would want that dork." Tanya shuddered.

Emmett found this funny, which only caused Rose to glare at him. "Baby, Tanya isn't into me, or Edward, or any dude for that matter. She's into pussy."

"Emmett," Edward and Tanya hissed, looking around.

"Hey, dumbass, it's called tact," Tanya added. Shaking her head, she sighed. "Yes, I am a lesbian. No, I am not into Emmett or Edward. Yes, I've come out to my family, though they'd rather pretend that I am just confused and one day will realize that I'm passionately in love with Edward. Honestly, it makes me quite queasy to even think about him like that."

"Um, thanks?" Edward frowned.

"You're welcome," she giggled, turning back to me. "Do yourself a favor, Bella, and get as far away from this life as you can." Edward opened his mouth to respond, but she slapped her hand over his lips. "Marry this guy, go back to California and never look back. Just don't let them suck you in here, they aren't worth it."

"I know," I said. "But Edward is."

"Yeah, I suppose he is," she replied. "I'll see you at the wedding. This shit is getting way too real for me."

Edward wrapped his arms around me as we watched Tanya make her way through the crowd, not even bothering to say goodbye to her parents before she left. I wasn't sure if I liked her or not, but at least she didn't try to hide who she was.

"I love you," Edward whispered, brushing his lips across my ear.

I smiled. "I love you, too."

**BPOV-PRESENT DAY**

Darkness . . . nothing, but darkness . . .

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know it's been a while, but I'm trying. Until next time my loves!**


	23. Chapter 23

**EPOV—PRESENT DAY**

Time passed at an agonizing slow pace. I sat next to Bella, waiting and watching for her to come back to me. Begging and pleading for any sign that she was going to be okay. I didn't get a single one. My Bella lay in her bed, her face and arms bruised and battered. I'd failed her, let that bastard hurt her. Shaking my head, I allowed the tears burning my eyes to fall freely down my face. I didn't deserve her, but I'd be damned if I ever let her go again.

Dr. Mitchell, or Garrett as he insisted on us calling him, came in several times a day, keeping a close eye on her vital signs. He couldn't tell us anymore than he did when they brought her in. New bruises crept over her skin, showing just how much abuse that bastard had put her through. I hated him. I loathed the thought that he'd touched her. She was mine — only mine.

The door to Bella's room opened, but I didn't need to look back to know who was coming in. Rose had only left Bella's bedside when Emmett forced her to go eat, insisting that she needed to keep her strength up. She clung onto Bella, waiting with baited breath for her to wake up. Rose wasn't the only one who couldn't seem to find the ability to leave the hospital, either. Jasper and Alice were camped out in the waiting room. Emmett took watch outside of Bella's room. Angela had been admitted to the hospital so Ben was coming down every two hours to get status reports. Parents of Bella's kids, colleagues from the school, other officers from the station, they all wanted to help, but no one of them could. Of course, I didn't pay any attention to them. No, all of my focus was on Bella.

"No change?" Rose asked, resuming her seat on the other side of the bed.

"Nope," I replied, though I knew I didn't need to. All Rose had to do was look at her to know that nothing had changed. "Did you eat?"

"Yeah, I had a chicken salad sandwich. I brought you one."

"No thanks," I muttered.

Rose sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd eat. You're such a stubborn ass."

"Tell me something I don't know," I groused.

"You're dick, you know that, Edward?" Rose huffed. "For months, Bella has been trying to get your attention. She felt like you were pulling away from her, which of course you were. Now, she's laying here, clinging for her life, and you're still being an ass."

"Shut the fuck up," I snapped, looking at her. "You think I don't know that I fucked everything up, Rose? Trust me, I do. I sat there for weeks, Rose, waiting for her to talk to me, to let me in, but she refused. I couldn't take it anymore. So, I did what I could to survive. I threw myself into my job, I found anything to keep from having to go back to that house and fight with her. I fucking love Bella, Rose. She's been mine since I laid eyes on her, but, goddamn it, I needed someone to be there for me, too, and nobody was there. Including her."

"You're right, because you went through so much more than her, right?" Rose snarled.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. "No, I didn't," I murmured. "But I lost a child, too."

**SIX YEARS AGO**

Today Bella would become my wife. Hundreds of people were sitting before me, whispering furiously between each other. Carlisle and Esme were in the front row; he had his arm around her shoulder and she was dabbing the tears from her eyes. To most people, it would seem like she was struggling with the overwhelming emotions that came with seeing your son marrying the woman he loved. Just the notion of my mother being anything of the sort had me fuming. No, Esme Cullen was distraught because I was marrying someone she felt was beneath us.

My mother was a bitch.

The only reason we were here was because Bella — my beautiful, amazing Bella — deserved to have the best wedding, with the finest of everything. Though, even I had to admit that seeing the hurt in Bella's eyes with each snide comment that my mother made cut deep. She didn't deserve to be treated like a social leper. Bella was better than all of us.

Shifting my eyes to the bride's side of the church, I smile at Carmen. She and her husband, Eleazar, had taken Bella in, loved her as their daughter, and made it clear that if I ever hurt her, they'd hurt me ten times worse. I believed them. Most of the people sitting behind them were friends of my family, or people who were looking for anyway to hang onto the good, ole Cullen family name. They were vultures, waiting for us to die so they could have a piece of us. They made me sick. Only Tanya seemed genuinely happy for me. Though, I knew she was concerned about Bella getting swept away in the crazy. I wouldn't let that happen. Bella saved me from the mundane, and in return, I would keep her from falling into their trap.

The sound of the pianist start playing pulled my attention to the back of the church. The heavy, double set doors open. Alice came trickling down the aisle first, wearing a simple silver silk slip dress. She had a huge smile on her face. As she passed by me, she winked. Turning back to the doors, I watched as Rose started her trek toward us. She, too, was wearing a simple silver slip dress. She joined Alice just before the pianist started playing the traditional wedding march.

Bella, flanked by both Emmett and Jasper, stepped through the doors. My breath caught in my chest. She looked beautiful. Her dress, which I'm sure Alice helped her pick, was a simple, strapless gown that hugged her curves. Bella's dark, brown hair had been pulled up, showing off her slender neck, and causing my cock to harden. She entranced me, lured me into her web and I didn't care. I was in love with her and, today, she'd be linking her life forever to mine.

Bella lifted her eyes to mine, her cheeks turning a deep pink. I'd left her this morning at the hotel with Alice and Rose. We'd spent the night wrapped in each other's arms, our bodies demanding to be as one. Even though it had only been a handful of hours since I'd held her, I yearned for her touch.

Emmett and Jasper looked proud to have her on their arms. The hardest part of our wedding plans had been for Bella not having her father here. She'd tried to be strong, but more than once I saw her wiping a tear from her eye. Three years after his death and she still grieved for him. I wish I'd had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Swan. Emmett and Jasper pleaded with Bella to allow them to give her away, telling her more than once that they loved her. They did, both of them looked at Bella as a sister. She agreed, quietly thanking them. They'd never understand how much that meant to me, too. My brother and my best friend bringing the love of my life to me; I was a lucky man.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, they reached me. Reverend Kent cleared his throat and started the ceremony.

"We're gathered here today to celebrate the union of Isabella and Edward in holy matrimony." Pausing, he turned to Bella, Emmett, and Jasper. "Who gives this woman to be married today?"

"We do in the spirit of her father, Charlie Swan," Emmett and Jasper murmured together. Bella shifted her eyes away, struggling to keep her tears from falling. Emmett and Jasper took hold of her hands, placing them in mine. Leaning in, they kissed her cheeks and then came to stand behind me as my best men. Bella shifted her eyes up to mine.

"I love you," I whispered.

"And I love you," she echoed.

Reverend Kent cleared his throat once again. I smiled sheepishly as I turned back to him. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he chuckled. Smiling, he continued on with the ceremony. "Is there anybody here who thinks this man and this woman should not be married?"

Both Bella and I turned, glaring at my parents, almost daring them to say anything. Though they both shifted uncomfortable in their pew, neither of them uttered a word. Squeezing Bella's hand, I pulled her attention back to me. My parents wouldn't stop me from marrying her, the embarrassment alone would have them submitting to our whim. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if they did say anything. I loved Bella; she loved me, which was all that mattered.

"To love is nothing. To be loved is something. To love and to be loved in return is everything. Isabella and Edward love each other, and have decided to join not only their hearts, but their souls to one another." Pausing, he brought his bible up to his chest. "Isabella and Edward have written their own vows. Isabella."

Bella took a deep breath. "When I was a little girl, my father told me that one day, I wouldn't need him anymore. Of course I didn't believe him because at the age of five no man could ever compare to my daddy." A low, humble round of laughter echoed throughout the room. "But he was right. In a way, at least. Edward . . ." Bella paused, trying to keep her tears from pouring down her face. "Edward, you gave me hope for a future where I didn't feel alone. You make me smile, and laugh. Thank you for being my best friend, my lover, and the light of my life."

"Aw," rumbled through the crowd.

Reverend Kent smiled and turned to me. "Edward."

A tear sprinkled down Bella's cheek. Slipping my hand out of hers, I wiped it away. She leaned into my touch.

"My beautiful Bella," I began. "I was lost, unsure of who I was as a man, of what I'd be doing with the rest of my life. Each day, I felt myself falling into an abyss that, honestly, scared me. Then came tumbling into my life, literally." Bella blushed. "And nothing was the same again. For the first time, I found myself hoping for more than I'd ever dreamed. Because of you, I smile and laugh. Because of you, I feel loved, Bella, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the man who is worthy of you. I love you."

"You're already that man," she whimpered. "I love you."

Behind Bella, Rose and Alice both wiped the tears from their faces.

"May I have the rings?" Reverend Kent asked. Emmett and Rose handed over the simple, gold wedding bands we'd picked out. Neither of us wanted anything flashy, that wasn't who we were. "These rings, much like the love the both of you share, are never-ending and unbreakable."

Bella's eyes shifted to Esme, a smirk twisting over the corners. I knew what she was thinking. Esme hadn't been able to break us apart.

"Isabella," Reverend Kent said, pulling her attention back to him. "Do you take Edward to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part?"

Bella's smile grew impeccably larger and her blush deepened. "I do."

"Then take this ring and slide it on his left ring finger," he instructed.

Bella took my wedding band, and placed it at the end of my finger, just as Reverend Kent had told her. Lifting her eyes up to mine, she slid the ring up until it was nestled at the base of my finger.

"Edward, do you take Isabella to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part?"

"With all my heart and soul, I do," I murmured.

"Then take this ring and slide it on her left ring finger," he said.

My fingers trembled as I took the ring from Reverend Kent. Taking a deep breath, I kept my attention on my bride, and slid the ring onto her finger, letting it rest next to the simple engagement ring I'd bought her. She deserved the best of everything, yet I knew that she wouldn't want more. My Bella wasn't flashy; it was just one of the things I loved the most about her. She didn't want my money, she just wanted me.

"It's an honor, and a privilege, to pronounce you husband and wife," Reverend Kent announced. "You may kiss your bride."

Cradling her against me, I leaned in and pressed my lips to my wife, my beautiful Bella. Pulling back just a bit, I whispered, "I love you, Isabella Cullen."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate the patience more than you know. My second book comes out on Tuesday and life has been a cruel bitch.**


	24. Chapter 24

**BPOV—SIX YEARS AGO**

Slipping out from under the cream-colored sheets, I pulled on Edward's discarded white button-up shirt, padded across the room, and walked through the double doors that led to the private patio outside of mine and Edward's bungalow. A smile curved upwards on my lips, the last twenty-four hours had been nothing less than of magical. Instead of spending a few days in New York City — like I thought we were planning — Edward had surprised me with a trip to Fiji. I didn't want to know how much it cost him, or his parents, to arrange our stay in paradise. For once, I was going to enjoy myself. It was our honeymoon, after all.

"There you are." Looking over my shoulder, I found Edward leaning against the doorway, wearing a smirk and nothing else. With the moonlight shining down on his naked body, I felt myself starting to tingle. "I woke up and you were gone. I didn't like it."

"Sorry," I murmured, feeling my skin warming under his gaze. Turning away from him, my arms came up to wrap around my torso. A shiver trickled over me and a moment later, I felt Edward's hands on my hips. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come out here. It's so peaceful and quiet."

"It is," he whispered, bringing his lips down to the side of my neck.

"Edward," I moaned, lifting my hand and tangling my fingers in his hair.

"I need you." His breath washed over me, causing my knees to go weak and I could feel just how much he needed me.

"Take me," I murmured.

Turning in his arms, I crushed my lips against his, a moaning tumbling out as he lifted me off the ground. My arms and legs wrapped around him, knowing they were meant to be there. Edward carried me back into our bungalow, and laid me on the bed. His mouth dominated mine, while his hands roamed over my body. He flicked open the two buttons on his shirt, exposing my breasts. Edward ripped his mouth from mine, allowing me to take the much needed breath of air my lungs begged for.

"You're so beautiful," he groaned, before latching his lips around my nipple.

"Edward," I cried, arching into him.

While he worshiped my breasts, one of his hands moved to between my legs, brushing across my wet heat. I gripped his hair, trying to sort out the rampant feelings soaring through me. Edward's touch had me reeling, shaking with need and want. My chest heaved, my breath coming out in short pants, yet my cries were stuck inside of my throat. Edward had me on the edge, and I loved every moment of it.

Using his teeth to pull on my perky nipple, Edward slid two fingers into me, pushing me toward one of half a dozen orgasms that he'd given me since we'd arrived. Pulling and nipping at my skin, he slid his mouth along my body, just proving how much control he had over me. I couldn't deny the reactions my body had toward him; Edward knew exactly where my weakest spots were, and greedily manipulated them. I couldn't complain — not when he had me writhing with pleasure.

Edward slipped his fingers from inside of me, causing me to whimper. His smirk returned as he grabbed my legs, flipping me onto my stomach. Grabbing my hips, he pulled me up onto my knees. I shivered, knowing exactly what he wanted and more than happy to give it to him.

"You look so fucking hot like this," he groaned, the tip of his cock rubbing against my wet slit. "I love your ass, baby. So fucking beautiful."

"Edward," I whimpered. It seemed to be the only thing I could say when he was near me.

"I love you, Isabella Cullen," he grunted, filling me with his cock in one quick thrust.

"AHHH!" I screamed, the feeling of him inside of me had me tumbling over the edge once again.

Edward tightened his grip on my hips, his pace was relentless. My fingers curled around the blankets under me, while he thrust over and over. A light sheen of sweat covered my body. I dropped my head onto the mattress, overcome once again by another wave of pleasure. Half a dozen thrusts later, Edward stilled his hips and found his own release.

We collapsed onto the bed, facing each other. Edward had a huge grin on his face, one that I knew reflected back at him. Bringing my hand up to stroke his skin, I leaned in and kissed him. "I love you, my husband," I whispered.

Sighing, I nestled myself into his arms and drifted back off to sleep, the feel of him holding me and the peace flowing in from outside washing over me.

—WLB—

When I awoke the next morning, I reached out for Edward, but came up with nothing but the sheet. Sitting up, I ran my fingers through my hair and looked around. The sun was pouring in through the open doors to the patio, the sheer white curtains dancing in the light breeze that trickled in. I looked over at the clock: half past ten.

Scrambling out of the bed, I wrapped the sheet around my body and went searching for my husband. A smile spread over my lips: Edward was my husband. It sounded both strange and incredible at the same time. Shaking my head, I checked the bathroom first, finding nothing but an empty room. Padding over to the open patio doors, I stepped out and smiled when I found Edward standing next to a small wrought iron table.

On top, there was a tray full of food: waffles, strawberries, cantaloupe, and a basket of croissants. Next to it was a pot of coffee and a carafe of orange juice. Of course those weren't what drew my attention. No, it was the fact that Edward was standing next to the table, butt naked. He was delicious and all mine.

"Stop staring at me," he said, not bothering to turn around.

"What if I don't want to?" I asked. Edward's shoulders began to shake as he laughed and he turned to face me. My eyes traveled down his smooth, muscled chest to his cock which was growing harder right before my eyes.

"Yo, pervy," Edward called, snapping his fingers. I snapped my attention up to his eyes. "Lose the sheet and come eat. You're gonna need energy for what I have planned for you today."

I shivered, and let the sheet drop from around my body. Edward ogled me, and sucked in a much needed breath.

"Whatcha got for me, baby?" I wondered and walked over to him, letting my hand graze across his cock. Edward moaned, grabbed the tops of my arms, and turned me to face him just before he crushed his lips against mine. I half expected him to send the food flying off the table with a swipe of his arm and take me on the table, but he didn't. Instead, he tore his mouth off of mine, leaving me yearning for more. The man kept me on the edge.

"Sit down," he growled, grabbing a handful of my ass when I turned away from him to take my seat.

"Edward!" I yelped.

"What?" He had an innocent expression on his face when I looked back at him, but I wasn't fooled. My husband was anything but innocent, hence the surprise vacation. "Are you hungry, baby?"

"Starving," I replied, realizing just how hungry I really was. "Do I want to ask if you were dressed when all of this was delivered? Or did you walk down to the restaurant naked to get it?"

Edward laughed and sat down across from me. "I managed to put a pair of shorts on when the delivery guy came. Just be glad that I had the foresight to cover you with the sheet. I'm sure he would have loved to see your ass. I know I do."

My cheeks warmed. "Oh."

"God, you're killing me with that today," he mumbled. Leaning forward, Edward picked up my plate and placed a waffle, a handful of strawberries and cantaloupe on it, before adding croissant and setting it down in front of me. "Coffee, juice, or both?"

"Juice, please," I murmured, picking up a berry and biting of the tip. "Damn, this is good," I moaned, sticking my tongue out to lap up the juice off of my lips. I shifted my eyes up to Edward, who stared at me with lust and need. "What?"

"You . . ." He trailed off and poured me a glass of orange juice. "Never mind. You know exactly what you're doing."

"I don't know what you are talking about, baby." This time I smirked, because we both knew where this little game was going to take us.

Picking up my glass, I took a sip and looked around. Our bungalow was located just yards from the crystal clear water. We were far enough away from the rest of the resort that we didn't need to worry about being spied upon, which was good seeing as we were sitting here and enjoying our breakfast while completely naked. A shudder ran through me at the thought of how much extra this had to have cost Edward — or his parents.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, breaking through my mental ramblings. "You look so pensive."

I smiled. "It's beautiful here. Almost like an entirely different world."

"Yeah, it is," he mused, spearing a chunk of cantaloupe and popping it into his mouth. "I thought you might like it here."

"I do, but then again, I love being anywhere with you."

Edward and I finished eating before we slipped on our swimming suits, or in my case the very small black bikini that I knew Alice had packed for me, and headed down to the water. Edward had tried to talk me into staying naked, but as confident as I was that nobody would see us, I wasn't going to take that chance.

The water was warm, washing over me like a bath on a cold, winter's night. Edward wrapped his arms around me, holding me while we kissed. It was easy to get lost in each other. We were in paradise, without a care in the world.

—WLB—

"Baby, come on," I laughed, pushing on Edward's shoulder. I was sitting on the side of the bed, while he was lying on his stomach, still naked from our night of love making. In fact, with the exception of when we went down to the water or he had to answer the door for our meals, Edward had forgone clothes completely for the last three days. "Edward!"

"Bella," he groaned, snaking an arm out and wrapping it around my waist. He pulled me back on the bed, moving so that he hovered over me. "Let's stay here instead."

Smiling, I shook my head. "I want to go to the bonfire." I jutted out my bottom lip. "Please?"

Growling, Edward dropped his forehead onto my shoulder. "Fine, you dirty, little cheater. We'll go, but the moment we get back, you'll be naked and I'll be inside of you. Deal?"

"Deal, baby," I giggled.

"Fine. Suppose I should find something suitable to put on."

I laughed while Edward grumbled and dug through his suitcase, slipping on a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a white T-shirt. Having already put on a yellow sundress, I took Edward's hand and led him up the beach toward the resort. They are having a huge bonfire. From the pictures on the brochure, it looked romantic and sensual.

And I wasn't disappointed.

By the time we made it, the bonfire was in full swing. The roaring flames were devouring the wood pyramid they'd set up for it. A couple dozen couples were milling around, a soft melody was pouring out of the speakers. The night was perfect. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, nestling me against his chest.

"It's almost as beautiful as you are," he murmured, nuzzling my neck.

"I already promised to get naked with you when got back, baby. You don't need to woo me."

Edward tangled his fingers in my hair and gently tugging my head back. The intensity in his eyes had me trembling — not out of fear, but out of want. "I'm not wooing you, Bella. I'm simply loving you with all my heart and soul."

"Edward," I whimpered, feeling overwhelmed at the moment.

"Come on, baby, let's dance."

Edward led me over to the small dance floor. Sliding his arms around my waist, he held me close. Everything and everyone around us faded away, just leaving the two of us locked away in our own small, private bubble. His eyes, full of hope and desire, never left mine, and I couldn't find it inside of me to look away from him — not when I needed him so much.

After a few hours of dancing, we headed back to our bungalow. Just like I promised, the moment we stepped inside, I stripped off my sundress, leaving me completely naked. Turning back to Edward, who'd wasted no time in tearing his clothes off, I smirked and ran my hands over my breasts. Edward growled, pinning me against the wall.

"You weren't wearing any panties all night?" Biting my lip, I shook my head. Edward leaned in, brushing his lips across my ear. "If I'd known that, baby, I would have found us a nice dark corner, and fucked you right then and there."

I whimpered. He laughed.

"You would have liked that, wouldn't you?" he asked, sucking my earlobe into his mouth. "Me inside of you while everyone else was laughing and having a good time."

"Yes," I whispered, unable to keep the lust out of the simple word. The tip of his cock was pressed against my opening, and I wanted to beg him to take me already. "God, yes."

"Me too." Without another word, Edward shifted his hips up, filling me completely.

I cried out, clinging on to him as tightly as I could. Edward kept one hand under me, holding me up while the other hand was pressed against the wall, giving him leverage to pound into me. Every thrust of his hips had me digging my nails into his skin. My moans spurred him to move faster, harder — to show me that he owned my body.

And he did.

Edward tightened his grip on me and carried me over to the bed, sitting on the edge with me straddling him. Sliding his hands to my hips, he began to lift me up and down. The sounds of our panted breaths, our bodies meeting together as one, and the waves crashing against the shore filled the room. I dragged my fingers into his hair, tangling them in his auburn locks and tilting his head back. Edward's green eyes were full of passion and love. Crushing my mouth against his, I let go of my orgasm, milking him through his, and enjoyed the fill of him inside of me.

Everything was perfect.

**PRESENT DAY**

Lost and alone, frightened of the sounds around me. I wanted to feel . . . something — anything — other than petrified, but there were nothing else. Nothing, but cold and darkness wrapped around me and the fear that I'd never find my way home. All I could do was pray that someone would save me.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry, for the lack of updates, but yeah, between real life and my work, it's been a nuthouse. Luckily, I've gotten all of my edits for Angel's Heart: The Keeper done and now, we just have to wait for the book to come out. Let me tell you, I am so excited about this one. It comes out in just two weeks, on the 24th! **

**Here's the Summary:**

**An age old prophecy, secret societies, and an enemy she doesn't know she has, Sophie Crenshaw thinks of herself as just being average. Along with her two best friends, Deva and Tabitha, Sophie sets off on what she thinks is a normal vacation. What she doesn't know is that everything she thought she knew about who she is, and what she can do, is about to change. Thrust in a world she knows nothing about, Sophie tries to find her true self, without losing her grip on her own sanity.**

**Henry Chang lives in world full of magic, where the stories over the legendary Angel's Heart are spoken in whispered conversations, and midnight meetings. His job is to protect the Heart, keep it safe from anyone who wishes to hurt it or its Keeper. In a divine moment, he's tied to the Keeper's heart forever. While trying to understand his own feelings, Henry does what he can to support Sophie, and keep her from falling apart. **

**With the help of Willow Crest, members, who are sworn to protect her, without ever meeting her, Sophie will struggle to get control of her feeling and new found powers. Or will it be too much for her to handle? Will their growing love give Sophie the strength and courage to face the greatest challenge of her young life?**

**Sounds interesting? You can read the prelude on my blog, http (:/) **

**So, between getting it ready for publishing, and actually publishing Summer Confections, which just came out on June 19th, I've had to write yet another book. I know, I know, it's nuts! This is for the third book in the Candy Collection. It's entitled Harvest Treats and comes out in September. Anyway, I hope that you'll check out my books. **


	25. Chapter 25

**EPOV-PRESENT DAY**

I was going insane. Five days had passed since I last saw my wife's beautiful brown eyes. Not that I had appreciated the beauty inside of them. I'd been too wrapped up in myself to see that she was hurting, that she needed me. Even though I'd been hurting, too, I should have been there for her. Bella had always dropped everything when I needed her, but when the table were turned, I'd blown her off for a few drinks in a shitty bar. Now, I would give anything to be able to tell her how much I loved her, how much I still needed her.

Once again, the door to Bella's room opened and Rose came back in. She still wasn't leaving Bella's side. Honestly, it was getting old. I understood that Bella and Rose were close — closer than close. There were times when I found myself jealous of the way Bella would confide in Rose, sharing her feelings and having someone who would understand. Sure, I had Emmett and Jasper, but it wasn't the same. Jasper was too busy trying to be the prefect husband to Alice, while Emmett tended to agree with Rose and Bella about my status as a major asshole. They were right, but it would have been nice to have someone there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on.

"I brought you some coffee," Rose said, placing the small, white Styrofoam cup on the table next to me.

Without replying to her, I picked it up and took a sip, nearly spitting it out all over Bella. "Fuck, this shit is nasty."

"Never said it was a good cup of coffee," Rose snarled, taking her usual seat on the other side of Bella. "Em said he'd bring us something back from Starbucks, but I figured you'd need something right about now. You know, seeing as you haven't slept in two days and even then it wasn't more than a few hours."

"Don't start, Rose," I groused.

Rose sighed. "I'm only saying anything because Bella can't. She wouldn't want you to run yourself into the ground like this."

"Don't you think I know what Bella would want?" My words came out sounding sharper than I intended. "She's my wife, Rose; I know her better than you."

"Do you?" she wondered, unaffected by my anger. "Because from my point of view, it doesn't seem like you knew her at all."

I flinched. "You think I didn't see her crying, or hear her, but I did, Rose. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and hold her, but I couldn't. She wouldn't let me." Pausing, I blinked back my tears and looked over at her. "Rose, when she died, it felt like I was drowning in my grief. I wanted her back, to be her daddy but I didn't get to be."

"Neither did Bella," Rose whimpered, brushing the tears off of her cheeks.

"No, I know that." I sighed. "Believe me, I know. But I tried, Rose, I really fucking tried to make things . . . better, but nothing I said or did worked. Bella left me a long time ago, Rose. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally. So, instead of going home every night and fighting with her, or even worse, just sitting there in deafening silence, I drank."

"Is that all you did?" Rose asked. I snapped my eyes up to hers. "You were drinking yourself into a stupor every night in those bars. Did you do anything, or anybody, else?"

"Fuck you, Rose," I snarled, standing up. "I love Bella. She's . . . damn it, she's everything to me. I would never cheat on her. You know I'm telling the truth."

"Okay," she said, putting her hands up. "I'm sorry. I had to ask."

"You didn't have to do anything." I muttered. "You may not like me; Rose, but you sure as hell know me better than that."

"Edward, it's not that I don't like you," Rose started, but before she could continue, we heard Emmett's roar come from out in the hall.

"Get the fuck out of here."

Rose and I scrambled out of our chairs, and out into the hallway. Throwing open the door, I stepped out, regretting it immediately. Carlisle and Esme were standing in front of Emmett, who had his arms out to stop them from barging their way into Bella's rooms. Jasper and Alice were behind them, him with his arms around her and her trying not to cry — again. Shifting my attention back to Carlisle and Esme, bile once again crept its way into my throat, but I managed to choke it back. They had some nerve coming here.

"Don't make me say it again," Emmett snapped.

Esme looked over his shoulder at me, and planted her fakest smile. "Edward, darling, are you okay?"

"What are you doing here?" I deadpanned. "I've told you that I want nothing else to do with you. Not now, not ever."

"Sweetheart, please —" However, before Esme could uttered another sound, the alarms in Bella's room started going off.

The ICU nurses pushed us out of the way and yelled, "Code Blue!" before rushing into her room. I went to follow, but Emmett wrapped his arms around me, pulling me away. As the doctor on call ran to Bella's side, I heard one of the nurses say, "We're losing her!"

**FIVE YEARS AGO**

I'd never been happier than I was right now. Bella and I had spent our entire honeymoon lost in each other. We drank, we danced, and we made love in the sand. It was perfect, and I didn't want to go home. But like all good times, we had to. Bella was starting her junior year at Berkeley and I'd just graduated from the academy. Thankfully, Jasper and I had managed to get placed in San Francisco.

Bella and I had returned from Fiji three days before hand, finding that Rose had moved in with Emmett, leaving the apartment to me and Bella. I was grateful that we'd have our own place, someplace where we could begin our lives as husband and wife together. Since Rose's room had been bigger than Bella's, we'd moved our bed and everything into her room, and turned Bella's old room into a spare/game room.

"Baby, you're gonna be late," Bella murmured, slipping her arm around my waist. "Something tells me your captain won't be too happy with you if you're late on your first day."

"No, I bet he wouldn't," I replied, turning toward her. "I'll miss you today."

Bella's cheeks turned pink, which made it incredibly hard to get the strength to leave her. "I'll miss you too." Biting on her lip, she hesitated for a moment. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"Baby, you know I will be."

"Promise me," she insisted. "Please? Just promise me."

"Fine, you silly, beautiful girl, I promise that I will be extra careful."

Bella release a relieved breath. "I know you think I'm being stupid, or whatever, but I worry, baby. It's who I am."

"And it's just one of the reasons why I love you," I said, kissing her. "Now, how about if we shower together? Save some water."

"Yeah, for the sake of being conservative and all," she giggled. "But if we do that, then neither of us will make it out alive, so how about you shower and I will make you some coffee."

"Well, I'd much rather have you in the shower with me, but okay."

Bella hurried into the kitchen while I lazily made my way into the bathroom and started the shower. Placing my hands on the edge of the sink, I looked up in the mirror. I hadn't shaven in several days, not since the morning of the wedding. Bella insisted that she liked the scruff so I kept it, but now it would have to go. Today, I started my career and I was determined to be professional.

Fifteen minutes later, I climbed out of the shower, completely clean shaven. I headed into our room and got dressed, being careful not to wrinkle my uniform. Taking a deep breath, I moved over and stood in front of the mirror. I barely recognized the person looking back at me. Where I felt like a kid playing dress up, he looked confident and strong, sure of himself and the decisions he'd made.

"Wow, you look . . ." Looking over my shoulder, I saw Bella leaning against the doorframe, one of my T-shirts on and a mug and a travel cup of coffee in her hands, "amazing."

"Thanks, but personally, I think I look like an idiot."

Bella laughed and walked over to me, sliding my coffee into my hand. "An idiot? How in the hell do you see an idiot?"

"I don't know," I muttered.

"Do you know what I see when I look at you like this?" Bella asked, placing her mug on the dresser and smoothing down the front of my shirt.

"Yes."

She smiled. "I see a man who didn't quit when things got hard; I see a man who fought for what he wanted, even when it was costing him his family; and I see a man who looks fucking sexy in a set of police blues."

"Baby, you can't say shit like that to me," I groaned, pulling her body flush against mine.

"Sorry, but you do. Now, you'd better get going. Jasper's already honked his horn twice," Bella snickered.

"Fine, but when I get home," I growled, "your ass is mine."

Bella shivered against me. "Deal."

—WLB—

Somehow — and I wasn't sure how — I managed to tear myself away from my wife and out of our apartment. Just like Bella said he was, Jasper was waiting for me behind the wheel of his car, tapping his fingers impatiently. Ignoring him, I climbed into the passenger seat. It's not like I'd never had to wait for him before. Hell, he and Alice were ten times as bad as me and Bella.

"About damn time," Jasper groused, shifting into reverse and pulling out of the parking spot. "We're gonna be late."

"We are not going to be late," I countered. "We have plenty of time."

"Whatever, dude," he laughed. "Just remember that when we are getting our asses handed to us, that it's your fault."

I smirked. "You'll see."

Even though Jasper drop slower than needed, we still made it in time — with two minutes to spare. He muttered under his breath, calling me a pain in his ass as I smirked and told him that I was right. Once we stowed our stuff in the lockers with our names on them, we headed to the captain's office. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. This man could make us or break us; I just wasn't sure which.

Jasper knocked on the door, and we waited what felt like a lifetime until we heard a grumbled, "Come in," before we pushed it open. Captain Peter Davis looked up at him from his desk, grunting before tossing his pen down and motioning for us to take our seats, which we did quickly. "So, you're my new rookies, huh?"

Before we could speak, he picked up one of the files in front of him and said, "Top of your class, both highly recommended by the academy. Wish that meant shit to me." Captain Davis turned to Jasper. "Jasper Whitlock — tell me why you became a cop."

"Oh, um," Jasper stammered, clearing his throat. "Well, I guess it's because I want to help people."

"You guess?" Captain Davis cocked an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"No, I mean, yes, I do know. I've just never thought about it, I guess." Jasper sighed. "I became a cop because I want to make a difference in someone's life. You know, be there when they need me."

Captain Davis nodded before looking over at me. "And you, Cullen?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I replied, "Personally, I just wanted to eat a lot of donuts."

Jasper looked like he was going to choke on his tongue when he gasped; however, Captain Davis threw his head back and laughed. "I like your honestly, Cullen, but don't let that cockiness get in the way of doing your job. This isn't playtime, boys, and I don't accept crap from anyone. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," we muttered together.

"Don't sir me," he grumbled, standing up and offering us his hand. "Welcome to my house, boys. I'd show you to your desks, but I ain't your momma. I'm sure you can find them. Now, get your asses out of here and show me that I'm not making a mistake by bringing you on here."

—WLB—

By the time Jasper and I made it back to the building, we were both tired. Our day had been pretty uneventful; mostly we'd filled out paperwork. The usual life insurance forms, medical insurance, emergency contacts. I have to admit that writing Bella's name and marking her as my wife felt incredible, but I was worried about what she would do if I ever got hurt. Once we got through those, we tried to familiarize ourselves with route, at least on paper. We'd get the keys to our squad car tomorrow and go out on our first ride. Just the thought had me both excited and nauseated.

"Today was . . . interesting," Jasper said, parking in his spot. Shutting off the car, he chuckled. "Guess I expected to be doing more than paperwork today."

"Yeah, me too, but tomorrow, we'll find the bad guys," I snickered and opened the car door. "Tell my sister I said hey, okay?"

"Will do. Try to be on time tomorrow," Jasper said as I climbed out of the car.

"Yeah, I'll try," I called back over my shoulder.

Taking the stairs in twos, I unlocked our apartment door, thankful that Bella had started locking it behind her when she came home. It had taken her a while to understand that in San Francisco, she couldn't just leave it wide open for just anyone. Upon opening the door, I was hit by the smell of dinner cooking. I dropped my keys on the table next to the door, and went in search of Bella. I found her in the kitchen. She was wearing a pair of white and blue plaid flannel pajama pants and one of my white T-shirts. She'd never looked sexier.

"Hey you," she said, smiling and looking over her shoulder. "Hope you're hungry."

"Starving," I murmured, loosening my collar. "Is that chicken parmesan?"

"Yep." Bella smirked. "And I have a special dessert in chilling in the fridge, so you'd better hurry your handsome ass up."

"Yes, ma'am," I laughed and hurried into our bedroom. Carefully, I removed my uniform and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt. When I walked back into the kitchen, I found Bella in front of the oven, bent over. My cock hardened at the sight of her ass being presented to me.

"Don't even think about it, Cullen," Bella snickered, standing up and placing the baking dish on top of the oven.

"I wasn't thinking anything," I muttered, lamely. "Need help?"

Bella smiled. "No, just sit down so we can eat. I haven't eaten all day."

"What? Why not?" I asked, sliding into my chair.

She waited until she'd placed everything on the table, adding a salad and pan of breadsticks to the chicken parmesan to answer me. "My English class went longer than I expected."

"What time was it supposed to be over?"

"Just after eleven," Bella mumbled, sliding into the chair next to mine.

"And what time did you get out?" I asked.

Bella sighed, and looked up at me. "Noon, but then I had to go talk with my advisor, and when I was done, I had my biology class."

"Well, why did your class last so long?"

"Oh, um." Bella paused. "Well, my professor asked me to stay after. Said he needed to talk to me."

"He?" I gritted out.

"Yes, he — Dr. Volturi — offered me a job," Bella shifted her eyes up to mine, "as his teaching assistant for his freshman comp classes."

"Oh," I said. "And, um, are you going to take it?"

"I — I don't know yet," Bella stammered. "It would mean more money, but I'd have to leave my job at the library."

"Don't worry about the money, baby. I just want you to be happy." And not working for your professor, but I left that last part out. "I told you that I will take care of everything."

"And I told you that I don't want to you carrying the burden entirely."

"Yeah, I know."

Bella and I fixed our plates and began to eat. The silence around us was deafening, which was never a good sign between us. After several minutes, I put my fork down and turned to Bella. "Do you want to take the job?"

"I don't know," Bella replied. "I love my job at the library, but not many students get offered a TA job. Especially as an undergrad. Plus, the extra income would be nice." I huffed. "Look, I know that you want to be the man of the house and take care of everything, but I can't just sit here and watch you work yourself into the ground just for me."

"It's not just for you, it's for us," I insisted. "I love you, baby, and I want you to be able to focus on school."

"I love you, too, and I am focusing on school, but . . ." Pausing, Bella shifted in her chair and grabbed my hands. "Edward, I'm not saying I am taking the job, but regardless on if I do or not, you have to understand that I will never be the kind of woman who just sits back and allows you to take care of everything. I know that bothers you, but it's who I am."

"And I love you for it. I just want you to be happy, and if that means you quit your job at the library and take this new one, then I'll be supportive."

Bella smiled, leaned in, and kissed me. "Thank you. That means a lot, baby. Now eat."

"Yes, ma'am," I chuckled.

After dinner, I cleaned the kitchen while Bella got dessert ready: my favorite Key Lime Pie. My wife knew me. Climbing into our bed, we enjoyed our dessert and watched television, just enjoying our time together. Even though we'd been living together for two years now, this was the first night that we'd spent together like this since we were married and I loved every moment of it.

**A/N: First, let me thank you for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it more than you know. Now, I know it's been awhile between updates, and I have a million reasons why. First, I had major writer's block, then I had another short novella due on October 1****st****. Broken Hearts & Dusty Dreams will be released in December as part of Book Four of the Candy Collection, Sugarplum Dreams.**

**Then, I had two pieces due for two different compilations. First was the Fandom for Suicide Awareness. It's a cause that means a ton to me and I had to write for it. I will be posting it on FF starting on Nov 15. It will be a 29 chapter drabble-like fic that will be updated daily. The title is Shadow of a Shattered Life. **

**The other piece was an outtake of Cullen Ballet Academy for the StandUp4Katalina compilation. I will be posting that one on Jan 1.**

**Now, I can't promise that the next update will be soon, but I am going to try. I am doing NaNoWriMo this November and have to get 50K written in 30 days. Since I have another book due on December 1, I figured this would be great motivation.**


	26. Chapter 26

**BPOV FIVE YEARS AGO**

"Why are you reading in the bathtub?"

I laughed and looked over, finding Edward standing in the doorway. With one hand rubbing against the scruff on his face and the other trying to keep himself from falling on his face, he stared at me with a mix of amusement and annoyance.

"I couldn't sleep," I replied.

"Okay, but why are you in the bathtub?" he asked with a chuckle. "I mean, you're not naked and wet, though it would be much hotter if you were."

"You are such a perv," I scoffed. "I'm in the bathtub, because the living room was scary. This book really has me on the edge."

Edward stared at me with a blank expression.

"I'm not a freak," I said.

"Never said you were, baby, but you're hiding in the bathtub because the book you are reading is scaring you?"

"Um, yeah, pretty much." I shrugged my shoulders.

Edward nodded and sat on the toilet, bracing himself on his knees. "If the book is getting to you, why not just stop reading it?"

I laughed. "Because it's so good."

Edward laughed with me. "I don't think I will ever understand you, Bella." Standing up, he reached for my hand. "Come back to bed with me. You can read more tomorrow, between your classes or whenever you have free time."

"Okay," I murmured, placing my bookmark inside my book. Taking Edward's hand, I allowed him to help me to my feet. I followed him into our room and put my book on my nightstand, before climbing into bed and snuggling into his arms. "It really is a good book."

"I'm sure it is," he chuckled, sliding his arm around my waist. "But I miss holding you in my arms, baby. How about if we have dinner at that little Italian place by campus tomorrow," Edward paused to look at the clock, "I mean, today seeing as it's almost four in the morning, and you can tell me all about it. I can have Jasper drop me off at the school after our shift."

"Mr. Cullen, are you asking me on a date?" I asked, turning in his arms and placing my hand on his chest.

"Yes, ma'am, I most certainly am," he murmured, kissing me softly. "Are you saying yes, Mrs. Cullen?"

"I am, but only on one condition."

"What's that?" Edward asked.

Smiling, I brought my hand up to the back of his head. "Make love to me."

Edward groaned. "You never have to ask."

Slowly, Edward and I stripped off each other's clothing, joining our bodies together as one.

—WLB—

When I awoke the next morning, I found myself alone. Lying on Edward's pillow was a piece of paper that had been folded in half and a rose. I smiled as I sat up, wrapping the sheet around myself and picking the rose and note up. The sweet aroma filled the air, and I was reminded once more why I loved Edward. He was a true romantic, always reminding me that he loved me. Opening the note, I felt my skin warm from his words.

_**Baby,**_

_**Leaving you this morning was hard. I wanted **_

_**to hold you in my arms, feel your body against **_

_**mine. Tonight — tonight, you're mine. I love **_

_**you, baby. Have a good day, and be safe.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Edward**_

Falling back on the bed, I giggled, feeling like a ailly school girl. However, my peaceful moment was interrupted when I looked over at the clock. It was five minutes before nine and I was supposed to be in Dr. Volturi's nine-fifteen Freshman Comp class. Scrambling out of bed, I quickly got dressed, cursing myself for daydreaming so much. Once I was ready, I grabbed my bag and keys, and flew out of my apartment and down the stairs. Jumping into Edward's car, I drove to campus, hoping and praying that Dr. Volturi wouldn't be pissed with me for being late. He'd taken a chance on me and here I was blowing it.

By the time I made it to Dr. Volturi's classroom, I was nearly fifteen minutes late. I tried to be discreet when I snuck into his class, but he lifted his eyes in my direction. However, he didn't call me out in front of everyone; instead he went on with his lecture. Taking a seat in the back, I hoped that by the time class ended, I wouldn't be out of a job.

"Don't forget that your first paper is due next week. Check the course syllabus on how to format; if they are wrong, I will not accept them and you will receive a zero." Groaning at Dr. Volturi's instructions, his class stood up and began to leave. He turned back to me. "Isabella, a word, please?"

Sighing, I stood up and walked down to him. "Sir, I'm so sorry. I —"

Dr. Volturi held up his hand, cutting me off. "Don't be sorry, Isabella, be on time. I'll overlook it this once, but next time, I'm afraid I will have to reconsider your position. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered, feeling ashamed.

Dr. Volturi sighed. "Isabella, look at me."

I shifted my eyes up to his.

"If I didn't think you were capable of handling this, I wouldn't have suggested you take the position in the first place."

"I know, Dr. Volturi, and I'm sorry."

"Call me Marcus," he said. "Just don't let it happen again. Carmen Santiago spoke very highly of you."

I smiled. "She did?"

Marcus laughed. "Yes, dear, she did. She doesn't often allow me to poach her employees, especially her favorite ones, but she agreed with me when I told her that you're the perfect person to be assisting me this year."

"And I'm thankful for the opportunity, sir, I really am."

Marcus nodded and turned back to his desk, picking up a stack of papers and handing them to me. "Okay, I need you to grade these and have them ready by Thursday's class. I've included my grading system so you know what to look for, how to mark it. If you have any questions, please ask. I'll see you in class tomorrow, yes?"

"Yes, sir," I replied. "And thank you again for the second chance."

"You're welcome. Just don't make me regret giving it."

Picking up his briefcase, Marcus left, leaving me standing in the classroom feeling like an idiot. With a heavy sigh, I headed toward my psychology class.

—WLB—

By the time I headed toward the student union to meet Edward, I was exhausted. None of my classes had gone very well. I had a pop quiz in psychology, and was assigned a ten page paper on the fall of Rome in my Roman History class. Why I decided that it would be a fascinating elective to take was something I wasn't sure about now. I gathered the remainder of Marcus' papers and headed toward the student union.

It wasn't hard to find Edward when I walked in. He was sitting on one of the many couches, talking to some trashy looking brunette. She was leaning toward him, and smiling. Edward laughed at something she said and shifted his eyes over to me. The smile that sprang up on this face made me feel better, but the fact was that he was still flirting with another woman.

He stood up and called out to me. "Bella, I was getting worried."

"So I see," I muttered, walking over to where he and the woman were standing. She looked over at me, her grin never fading. I had to admit that she was beautiful. Long, silky brown hair and deep, brown eyes.

"Bella, this is Angela Weber. She and I took World History together last year," Edward explained. "Angela, this is my wife, Bella."

"It's lovely to meet you, Bella," Angela said, holding her hand out to me. "Edward has told me so much about you."

"Nice to meet you, too," I gritted out. "Though, I can't say that Edward has ever mentioned you."

"I'm not surprised," she countered, though I saw Edward frown. "Why would he even think about me when he has you?" Laughing, she turned to Edward. "I'd better go. Ben should be done with class soon." Angela hugged him. "Don't be a stranger, okay? Just because you're a cop, doesn't mean that you can forget about us little people."

"Like I could," Edward scoffed.

Angela smiled wider and turned back to me. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Night," I muttered.

Angela didn't seem to be affected by my cold demeanor as she picked up her backpack and left. I turned back to Edward, glaring at him before I spun on my heel and stormed out of the student union. I'd never been so humiliated. He'd openly flirted with her knowing that I was meeting him there. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.

"Bella, wait!" Edward yelled after me. I'd barely made it outside of the building when he grabbed my arms and spun me back to face him. "Why are you mad?"

"Why am I mad?" I snorted. "Are you seriously asking me that after what I just saw?"

"Yes, and what is it that you think you saw?"

"Don't play that game with me," I snarled, pulling my arm out of his grip. "You always do that when I'm upset."

"First, I don't know what the hell you are talking about. I don't do anything. Second, I don't know why you are pissed with me. I was just talking to a friend."

"No," I cried, humiliating myself further by crying. "You were flirting with another woman."

Edward laughed. He fucking laughed. "Bella —"

"Don't — just don't," I screamed, taking two steps back. However, I wasn't paying attention to where I was standing and when I stepped back, my foot fell off the top step and I tumbled backward, hitting my head on the concrete.

"Bella!" Edward exclaimed, flying down to where I was laying.

"Son of a bitch, that really fucking hurt!" I cried, grabbing the back of my head. Bringing my hand in front of me, I noticed the crimson blood on my fingers. "Oh, fuck," I groaned, and felt my head falling backward again.

Luckily, Edward grabbed my before I could hit the ground again. "Come on, baby, let's get you to the hospital."

"Okay," I muttered, my anger at Edward suddenly dissipating.

Edward helped me to my feet, but when I tried to take a step, I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. Before I could as much as cry out, Edward had me in his arms and was nearly running in the direction of his car. He placed me in the front seat, tossing my bag in the backseat before climbing in behind the wheel. Without a word, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the hospital. I reached over and placed my hand on his arm.

"I'm still mad at you," I lied.

"I know." Edward smiled. "But you shouldn't be. Angela is a friend; hardly even that. She saw me waiting for you and came over to say hello. You walked in two minutes later, I swear."

"Yeah?" I asked, lobbing my head in his direction. Edward nodded. "It looked like flirting to me."

"Angela's engaged to a guy named Ben, who is studying psychology."

"Still looked like flirting to me," I muttered.

Edward sighed and parked in the lot in front of the emergency room. Cutting the engine, he turned in his seat and looked over at me. "Not every woman that talks to me is flirting, and I'm certainly not flirting with them. Bella, you have to trust me."

"I do, I just don't trust them," I mumbled, feeling stupid for being upset. "You don't see the way women look at you, Edward. You're a catch."

"But I'm yours — only yours."

Sighing, I said, "I know, and I'm being silly. I just had a long day and I overacted. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Can't say I wouldn't have felt the same way if you were talking to some other guy," Edward admitted. "Now, let's go get you patched up."

"Okay," I groaned when the throbbing in my ankle and head intensified.

Edward carried me inside and got me signed in. Luckily, we didn't have to wait very long. An x-ray and a few stiches later, I was released with a minor concussion and a severely sprained ankle. I was ordered to keep off it for a few days, given a set of crutches, and a prescription for some high dose pain relievers if I needed them.

Being gentle, Edward helped me up to our apartment and ordered me to stay on the bed while he ordered us some dinner. Grimacing as I tried to find a comfortable position, I looked over at my bag that was sitting in front of the dresser. I still had a ton of papers to grade, which I could do while staying in bed. Swinging my leg over the side of the bed, I had just started to push myself up when Edward said, "Don't even think about it, baby."

Huffing, I looked over my shoulder at him. "But I have work to do!"

"Not tonight." Edward came over to the bed, carrying a bag of takeout from our favorite Chinese place. "Tonight you are resting. Even if that means I have to tie you to the bed."

"Oh, that could be fun." I smirked when Edward shivered.

"Bella, don't tempt me," he threaten. "You need to rest."

"Okay, okay; I'll be good." I sighed, and tried to find a comfortable position, but honestly, there wasn't one. "What'd you order me?"

"Your usual," he replied. Digging into the bag, he pulled out a carton of chicken cashew and handed it to me. "Chopsticks or fork?"

"Fork. I don't have the patience for sticks tonight."

"Alright," he said, handing me a fork. Grabbing his own dinner from the bag, he leaned against the bed and said, "Tell me about the book."

"Huh?" I asked, swallowing the food in my mouth.

Edward nodded toward the book on my nightstand. "Tell me about it."

Smiling, I nestled myself into my pillow and started telling him about the book that had been keeping me on the edge of my seat for days.

**PRESENT DAY**

Know that dream where you feel like you're standing naked in the middle of a room made of glass and every person who walks by stops to gawk at you? That's how I felt, only instead of people walking by and laughing, I felt completely and utterly alone. There weren't any lights, or sounds; nothing, but the cold, eerie dark and a feeling of foreboding crawling over my skin. I felt trapped, and no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find a way out. I wanted to go back — back to a time when every moment didn't hurt, a time before she was viciously taken from us. I wanted my husband back, my life back.

Suddenly, a loud scream filled the air. "Charge to two hundred!" A moment later, the voice yelled, "Clear!"

A jolt of electricity shot through my body, slamming me against the floor. I cried out, but my plea for help was drowned out by the loud hum that was filling the glass room. With each passing second it became louder, and I found myself curling up in a ball, anticipating when the next strike would to hit. The glass walls were beginning to rattle and I wasn't sure how much longer they'd be able to withstand the humming.

A moment later, I heard, "Goddamn it, Bella, don't do this! Fight! Fight damn it! Charge to three hundred! Clear."

As the sizzling electricity hit me in the chest once again, the glass room shattered, sending shards in every direction. No matter how hard I screamed or fought against the sensations, I felt my body being pulled into a vortex, toward a bright light and the sound of hope.

Feeling like I'd been slammed against a brick wall, my eyes snapped open in panic. Several doctors and nurses surrounded me, and I could vaguely hear them talking about my stats, but my focus was on the one person who stood out from the rest was Edward. I tried to call out to him, but I couldn't seem to be able to speak. Lifting my arm, I reached for him, but before he could take hold, an excruciating pain filled my chest. My hand flopped against the mattress as my eyes rolled back in my head. Once more, I found myself lost and alone in the dark.

**Thank you for all the reviews. It may be awhile before the next update, but I promise not to give up on this story. NaNoWriMo starts on Thursday!**


	27. Chapter 27

**EPOV—PRESENT DAY**

A pair of strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me out of Bella's room and back into the hallway. I screamed for them to release me, fought against their iron hold, but I couldn't break their grip. My knees gave out on me and I crumbled to the floor, taking whoever was holding me down with me.

"Shh, Edward, it's okay," Emmett whispered, and I knew he was the one holding me.

"I need her," I cried, barely able to get the words out. "I need her, Em."

"I know," he murmured. "She's a fighter. I saw it in her eyes, Edward. She's fighting for you. Stay strong for her."

Before I could say anything else, the door to Bella's room slid open once again and I looked up to see Garrett coming out. I couldn't read his facial expression; a dark shadow seemed to cover his face and his eyes were filled with sorrow. Emmett released me and I scrambled to my feet.

"Is she okay?" I begged, praying the news was good. If I lost her now, I'd never survive. Bella was my life, my soul.

Garrett sighed. "I don't know. She's stable for now, but I'm concerned about her body being able to handle the extreme trauma she went through. I wish I had better news, but I just don't know."

Bringing my hand up to my mouth, I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. "Will she wake up again?"

"I don't know," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Talk to her, Edward. Give her a reason to come back to you. At this point, it's just a matter of time."

"Time for what?" Rose asked, the words trembling from between her lips.

Garrett looked past me at her. "Time on if she fights to live, or gives up and dies." Releasing his grip on my shoulder, Garrett said, "I'll be on the floor, if you need anything."

Nodding, I muttered, "I just need her."

Garrett placed Bella's chart on the counter before he turned and headed down the hallway. Running my hands over my face and through my hair, I started toward Bella's room, only to stop dead in my tracks when I heard my mother call out, "Edward!"

Looking over my shoulder at her, I glared. "Get out of here."

"Edward, please," she cried, melting into Carlisle's embrace.

"We just want to talk," Carlisle added, his once formal and strong voice crumbling with each word he spoke.

I laughed humorlessly. "Talk? You want to talk?" Shaking my head, I said, "You killed my daughter. We have nothing to talk about."

Leaving them with Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice to deal with, I pulled the door to Bella's room closed and took the chair I'd been living in for days. I reached out and picked up Bella's bruised and battered hand, bringing it up to my lips.

"Baby, you can't leave me," I whispered. "I need you too much. Please, fight for me."

**FOUR YEARS AGO**

Tapping my nails on my old, wooden desk, I shifted my eyes over to the clock, trying to patiently wait for the last ten minutes of my shift to end. From the desk across from me, I heard Jasper snickering under his breath, but I didn't really give a fuck right now. I had somewhere to be and it didn't include him.

Finally, the second hand hit the twelve and I pushed away from my desk and stood up. "Later."

"Have fun," Jasper teased, but stood up as well. "But not too much fun. Wouldn't want the cops called on you."

I smiled. "Oh, we will."

Ten minutes later, I was in my car, and stuck in rush hour traffic. Sighing, I gripped the steering wheel and tried to keep from losing my cool. I had to get back to the apartment before Bella did. Even though she was scheduled to work until six, and it was just after five, I couldn't take any chances. Tonight, I planned to seduce my wife.

Over the last few months, it seemed like Bella and I spent more time apart than we had together. She'd been busy with her last semester of school, which meant doing her student teaching at one of the local elementary schools. Bella loved Clover Elementary, often talking about hoping that she'd get a job working there when she graduated. Between her student teaching and her job with Marcus Volturi, I was lucky if I got to see her for an hour before she was asleep. But tonight I was determined to make up for lost time. I had missed my wife.

After another half hour of slowly weaving in and out of traffic, I finally made it home and thankfully, I didn't see Bella's car in her usual parking space. Climbing out of my car, I rushed up to our apartment, stripping my uniform off in the process. I changed into a pair of khaki pants and a white, button up shirt before I headed into the kitchen and started making dinner. While the lasagna was cooking, I set the table, using our wedding china, and adding two long, slender candles in the middle, as well as the bouquet of roses I'd hidden in the closet.

Checking the time, I smiled when I realized that Bella should be home any minute. I pulled the lasagna out of the oven and placed it in the middle of the table. Grabbing two wine glasses and the wine I had in the fridge, I poured us each a glass and placed them next to our plates. Taking a deep, calming breath, I waited for Bella to walk in through the door.

However, six o'clock came and went. Then seven, then eight, and by the time I heard the front door of our apartment open, it was after nine. The candle had burned down to nearly nothing. The food had gotten cold and I'd drunk all the wine on my own. I'd left her more than a dozen messages, sent her twice as many texts, but still nothing — nothing but an ache in my heart and feeling of uselessness.

I was sitting at the table with my legs stretched out in front of me and my arms folded across my chest.

When Bella turned the corner into the small dining room, she looked from me to the dinner spread out in front of me and smiled. "Hey," she said. "What's this?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Apparently nothing."

I stood up and blew out the candle and picked up the lasagna, dumping it into the sink.

"Edward?" Bella gasped.

"Where the fuck were you?" I snarled, turning back to her. "You were supposed to be home three hours ago, Bella."

"I'm sorry. Marcus needed me to cover his comp class tonight," she explained.

My eyes slid closed. "Of course. If Marcus needed it, then it had to be important."

"Edward, it's my job," Bella replied, tossing her keys onto the table and dropping her bag against the wall.

"And it always comes first," I muttered, leaning against the counter.

"No, it doesn't," she argued. "How many times have I sat here and waited for you?"

"Because I've had a call that I had to take. You know, save a life," I yelled. "Marcus and that job have been taking all your free time. Fuck, Bella, I've hardly seen you all damn week!"

"I've been here every night," she challenged, picking up the empty wine bottle. Sparing me a look, she rolled her eyes and set it back on the table. "Guess I didn't want any."

Pushing away from the counter, I scoffed. "There was plenty for you three hours ago when I opened it." Brushing past her, I headed toward our bedroom. I stopped in the doorway and looked back at her. "When was the last time you and I actually talked about something, and I don't mean your work with the kids, or Marcus. I don't mean my job, or Em, Rose, Ali, or Jas, either. When was the last time you came home, Bella, and we talked about nothing? Or ate dinner together. Or, fuck, when was the last time we made love? I've missed you, but apparently, I'm the only one who has. So, whatever; I'm done."

Walking into our bedroom, I kicked the door closed behind me and walked into the bathroom, stripping my clothes off as I went. I closed the door and turned on the water, placing my hands on the vanity and released a deep breath. I was furious with her, but even more than just being pissed, I was hurt. She was putting everything else before me, and I felt like she was slipping away from me.

With a sigh, I pushed away from the vanity and climbed into the shower, not caring that the water was too hot and scalded my skin. Placing one hand on the shower wall, I brought my other hand up to the back of my neck, trying to work out the tension building in my shoulders. I stayed in the shower until the heat started tapering off, and the cold water spat across my skin. Turning it off, I grabbed a towel and dried off, wrapping it around my waist before walking back into mine and Bella's bedroom. I stopped when I found her sitting in the middle of the bed with a sheer black negligee on. I'd be lying if I said my body didn't respond to her like that. She was sexy; I'd just missed her so much.

Shifting her eyes over me, she smiled and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" I asked, unable to stop my feet as they moved me over to the bed.

Bella reached out and tugged the towel away, leaving me naked and hard for her — always her. "For not being here tonight, for not being here lately the way I should. I guess, I didn't think about how much it was affecting you."

Climbing onto the bed, I pulled Bella so that she was lying under me. Sliding my hand up her thigh, I nestled myself between her legs, feeling the warmth of her pussy caressing the tip of my cock. Bella had taken her panties off, leaving her open for me. It would be so easy to fill her; one quick thrust of my hips would take me home — right where I belong.

"I know your work is important to you, baby. Your kids need you, Marcus wants you," I whispered, brushing my lips across her neck. "But I've missed getting to hold you like this."

"I've missed it, too," she moaned, trying to shift her hips up and pull me inside of her body. However, I tightened my grip on her leg and kept myself from plunging into her. "Edward, please!"

"Wait," I demanded, leaning back and looking her in the eye. "You kept me waiting tonight; you can wait for me now."

"I'm sorry," she cried, sliding her hand to the back of my neck. "I didn't know you had this planned!"

"Because I wanted to surprise you," I murmured. "Because I wanted to seduce you, to woo you into our bed. But you weren't here."

"I would have rather been here," she whimpered as I pressed just the tip of my cock into her.

"But you weren't," I growled, pulling back. Bella whined, but I resisted. "I had to sit there while the candles burned to nothing, the food got cold. I sat there and watched the clock ticking away, worrying that you were stuck in a ditch, or someone had taken you away from me. I called, but it went to voice mail — as usual."

"My battery died," she whispered. "And I didn't have my car charger."

"I was worried," I trembled. Bella gasped as the tears I'd been fighting slipped down my face. "I love you, Bella, and I thought you were hurt."

"I love you, too," she cried. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Crushing my mouth down against hers, I shifted my hips forward and filled her. Bella's hands came down on my shoulders and a moan trickled into my mouth. Setting a fast and furious pace, I dug my fingers into her skin, needing her to feel how much I needed her, how much I loved her, how much I wanted her.

"Edward," she moaned, tearing her mouth away from mine and taking a ragged breath. "Gah, baby, don't stop!"

"I'm never stopping," I snarled against the side of her neck. "You're mine, Bella; just mine."

"I am yours," she screamed, aching against me as her orgasm washed over her.

However, I wasn't done with her yet. Rolling us, I moved Bella so that she was straddling me, allowing my cock to slide deeper into her. Bella leaned back and placed her hands on my thighs, shifting herself upward before coming back down. I groaned at the site of my cock disappearing inside of her.

"You're so fucking hot," I moaned, grabbing the thin straps of her lingerie and pulling, ripping them off.

"Edward!" she whined. "I liked this one."

"Don't give a fuck," I growled, shifting my hips up to meet her downward thrust. Bella mewled, her nails digging into my skin. I grabbed the front of the black, sheer nightie and pulled it down, letting it pool at her waist. Leaning up, I sucked one of her nipples into my mouth.

"Oh, fuck, Edward," she panted and I could feel her struggling not to let another orgasm go. Sliding my hands around to her ass, I bit down on her nipple at the same time that I pushed a finger into her ass. "EDWARD!"

The feeling of her walls tightening around me sent me flying off the edge, and I stilled my hips as I filled my wife with my release. Bella collapsed against my chest, panting and gasping for air. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her against me.

"That was incredible," she giggled.

I laughed. "Yeah, it was."

Bella leaned up, placing her arms on either side of my head and smiled. "I really am sorry that I haven't been here much. This semester is killing me, but I'm so close to being done. I just . . ."

"You just what?" I asked.

Bella shook her head as she sat up. "It was important to my dad that I graduate from college, Edward. I'm so close," she wept. "Even though he isn't here to see me graduate, I want him to be proud of me."

"Baby," I soothed, pulling her back against my chest. "He is proud of you."

"You really think so?" she whimpered.

"I know I'm proud of you," I whispered.

Bella brought her hand up to the back of my head and pressed her lips against mine. "I'm sorry I ruined your night. I'll do better."

"J — just don't push me away like that, okay?" I murmured. "I love you too much. If I lost you, it would . . . I wouldn't be able to handle life."

"I love you, too, and you won't lose me. You and I, we don't work without each other," she said, smiling. "Now, I'm starving. How about we take a quick shower and then go get some dinner. I'll even let you decide where we go."

I laughed. "Deal."

Half an hour later, Bella and I had showered and dressed and were on our way out to our favorite little Italian place for dinner.

**Thank you for all of the reviews. Sorry for the delay, but real life has been a bitch. My daughter, whose diabetic, had a very rough week last week and I was completely overwhelmed with her. Then, yesterday (12-11) I released another book. The fourth book in The Candy Collection, Sugarplum Dreams, can be found on Barnes and Noble and Amazon in both ebook and paperback. Or, if you just want the story I wrote for it, you can also find the ebook of Broken Hearts & Dusty Dreams on Barnes and Noble and Amazon—all under the name of Lisa Bilbrey.**


	28. Chapter 28

**BPOV — FOUR YEARS AGO**

"Okay, friends, make sure you give your mom or dad the letter about the Easter party," I said, moving around the fifteen kindergarteners in my class and standing in front of the door. One by one, they lined up in front of me, tugging on their oversized backpacks. "I'll see you next week. Have a good weekend."

As I pushed open the door, releasing the children to their parents and sending the handful that rode the bus down to the end of the sidewalk to wait to be taken to the bus, most of the boys and girls hugged me. It was my favorite part of the day. Once they were all where they were supposed to be, I walked back into my classroom and over to the desk and started gathering up my stuff.

"Big plans for the weekend, Bella?" Mrs. White, the kindergarten teacher who'd been supervising my student teaching for the last few weeks, asked.

Smiling, I pulled my purse up on my shoulder and shook my head. "No, planning a nice quiet weekend at home with Edward."

"Oh, the best kind," she said, wistfully. "Once you have kids, your weekends become theirs. Enjoy it while it lasts."

"I will," I replied, taking a deep breath and trying very hard not to think about the pregnancy test that was inside of my purse. "I'll see you next week, Mrs. White."

"Leslie, Bella. I've told you at least hundred times to call me Leslie," she chided. "Have a nice weekend."

"I'll try," I laughed.

I walked out of the classroom and out to the parking lot, climbing into my car. Tossing my purse in the passenger seat, the still-closed First Response pregnancy test fell out of my bag. Sighing, I picked it up and looked at it. My period was officially two weeks late. After putting it off for fourteen days, I'd finally managed the courage to go down to the drugstore this morning before school started and picked up a test. Of course, I hadn't had the guts to take it. I wasn't sure if I wanted the results to be positive or negative. Edward and I had always planned on having children, but we'd only been married for a year and I still had a month until I graduated from college. Shoving the test back into my purse, I tried to push it out of my thoughts and started my car, heading home.

Edward's car was in his parking space when I pulled in. With a smile on my face, I grabbed my bag and hurried up to our apartment. However, when I opened the door, I slid to a stop. Carlisle and Esme were sitting in our living room. The disdain on their faces was enough to cause me to tense up. In the year since Edward and I had been married, we'd only had to see them twice: a weekend in July and Christmas. I would have rather kept it like that.

"Oh, hey, Bella," Edward said, walking out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee. He placed them in front of Carlisle and Esme before walking over to me. Dropping his voice, he spoke again. "I had no idea they were coming. They showed up down at the station and insisted that they needed to talk to me. I tried to call, but your cell must be dead again."

"Um, actually, one of my students tried to flush it down the toilet," I muttered.

"Jeremy?" Edward asked. I nodded. For a six-year-old, Jeremy had a habit of getting into trouble. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have called the school and left you a message."

"No, it's fine," I gritted. Clearing my throat, I looked past him at Carlisle and Esme, who were trying very hard to pretend like they weren't attempting to eavesdrop. "How are you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?"

"Wonderful," Esme chirped, planting a fake smile on her lips. "And you?"

"Great," I said, trying to sound sincere. "Well, I should . . . give you a few minutes alone." Giving Edward a look, I turned and headed toward our bedroom.

"Actually, Bella," Carlisle said, causing me to stop and look back at him, "we'd like to speak with you."

"Why?" I blurted out, clamping my lips together.

He laughed, or attempted to, and gestured to the smaller of our two sofas. "Please, have a seat."

Edward and I shared a look before moving over and sitting down. I dropped my purse on the floor, leaning it against the front of the sofa. Carlisle reached over and took Esme's hand in his. She was so tense and ridged, I was starting to wonder if she'd had a stick shoved up her ass and it physically hurt to sit.

"Esme and I have been doing some talking," he started, "and well, we know you're getting ready to graduate from school soon, Bella. We'd like to give you a gift, I suppose."

"Um, okay," I replied slowly.

Carlisle smiled, and while his was more sincere than his wife's, it was still forced. "We'd like to buy you and Edward a house."

My mouth dropped open as I shifted my eyes from him over to my husband. Edward looked just as shocked as I did. A house? They wanted to buy us a house because I was graduating from college? The very same people who'd done everything they could to get their son to leave me, to convince him that I wasn't worthy of being his wife, wanted to buy us a house?

"No," I scoffed, causing Carlisle and Esme to look over at me. "I don't take charity from anyone and we certainly don't need you buying us a house."

"It's not charity, Bella," Carlisle replied, his tone harsh. "We're simply offering the house as a gesture to show how impressed we are with how hard you've worked over the last four years."

"And I appreciate it, I do, but no," I told him. "Edward knows how I feel about accepting help like that, and if you knew me at all, then you'd know that, as well. Edward and I work hard for everything we have. Maybe our apartment isn't good enough for you, but it's our home."

"What Bella is trying to say," Edward said, slipping his hand into mine, "is that while we appreciate the offer, we can't accept it."

"You can't just turn down a house," Esme scoffed. She turned toward me, trying to look sweet, but failing miserably. "Bella, dear, you've proven that you're a hard worker, but you're a Cullen now. You have an image to uphold now."

"No, I don't." The moment the words were out of my mouth, Esme narrowed her eyes at me.

"Isabella —"

"My name is Bella," I snarled, standing up. As I did, I kicked my purse, sending it flying across the room. It hit the wall and the contents spilled out, including the pregnancy test. Before I could gather up, Edward stood up and walked over, picking it up. He looked back at me with wide eyes. "Edward."

"Oh, my God," Esme exclaimed, throwing her hands up as she stood up. "You're pregnant? That's just wonderful. Barley married a year and already knocked-up."

"Bella?" Edward asked, ignoring his mother's rant.

"I don't know," I muttered, feeling my eyes fill up with tears.

Standing up, I wrapped my arms around my torso and rushed into our bedroom. That was not how I wanted Edward to find out, but leave it to Esme to make a scene out of it. Climbing onto our bed, I buried my face in my pillow and let my tears fall freely.

A moment later, I heard the door to our apartment get slammed shut. Not long after, the door to our bedroom opened and I felt the bed dip as Edward climbed on, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"How late are you?" he whispered, pressing his lips against the side of my neck.

"Two weeks," I murmured.

Edward sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I've been too scared," I whimpered. Rolling onto my back, I looked over at him. "We said we were going to wait at least five years."

"Well, it looks like someone else has a better idea," Edward chuckled, sliding his hand to my hip. "When are you going to take it?"

"Um, I don't know," I mumbled. "They say first thing in the morning is better."

"Okay, so we wait till morning." Edward smiled and shook his head. "Did you see the look on her face?"

"Oh, yeah, she was . . . thrilled," I jibed. "Bet they took back their little gift, didn't they?"

"Um, no," Edward replied. "Carlisle actually insisted that with a baby on the way that they needed to provide us with a proper place to raise a child."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, they couldn't very well have us raising their grandchild in such squalor."

"Baby, if you are pregnant, then you and I will decide if we want to raise them here in this place, or get a house, or whatever. You and me. Not them, not anyone else. I love you, Bella."

Smiling, I rolled onto my side so that I was facing him. "I love you, too, Edward."

—WLB—

I crawled out of bed before the sun had even started to rise the next morning. Neither Edward nor I got much sleep. The rest of our evening had consisted of eating dinner in bed, attempting to distract ourselves from the pregnancy test that Edward had moved from my purse and placed on our dresser, and enjoy the feeling of being in each other's arms.

Picking up the test, I looked back at Edward, who was leaning up against his pillows, and walked into the bathroom. My heart felt like it would explode from my chest as I opened the box and removed the two little plastic sticks that would tell me if I was going to become a mother or not. Taking a deep breath, I slipped my panties down to my below my knees and sat down on the toilet, peeing on the sticks and placing the caps back on them. Washing my hands first, I turned on the egg timer from the kitchen and went back into our bedroom to wait with Edward.

He'd moved to the edge of the bed and was tapping his foot impatiently. Smiling, I sat down next to him, placing my hand on his knee.

"No matter what it says, we're gonna be happy," he murmured, sliding his arm around my waist.

"No matter what," I echoed.

Two minutes and thirty-five seconds later, the timer went off. Closing my eyes and trying to calm myself down, I stood up and walked into the bathroom, picking the test up off of the counter. Turning it over, I smiled when I saw the pair of dark pink lines.

"Well?" Looking up, I saw Edward leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom. "What's it say?"

"It says you're gonna be a Daddy."

**PRESENT DAY**

As the darkness lifted from around me, I was shocked to find myself standing in the middle of the street, right in front of the house I shared with Charlie in Forks. Looking around, I searched for any signs of life, but there weren't any. Not a dog barking, or a baby crying; nothing but the eerie quiet and the slow, misty rain falling around me. Wrapping my arms around my torso, I tried to stifle the shudder that trembled through me. What was I doing back in Forks?

Looking back at the house, I saw that the front door was now open. A moment ago, it'd been shut, hadn't it? Taking a deep breath, I walked up the front walk and onto the porch. I paused for a moment before walking into the house. The last time I'd been inside this place, every room had been empty. After Charlie died, I'd sold all of our furniture and gave away what I couldn't sell. Now, however, each room was filled with our old furniture. The brown, suede sofa and brown leather recliner had been situated in front of the television. The walls were covered of photos of me and Charlie; everything from my first birthdays to my kindergarten graduation and my first ballet recital.

"There you are." Gasping, I spun around and found Charlie leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen. Where the cancer treatments had taken their toll on him, robbing him of his hair and leaving him looking gaunt, the man who stood in front of me looked young and healthy. He had a head full of luscious dark brown hair and his dark-brown eyes sparkled with happiness.

"Daddy?" I whimpered.

Charlie smiled. "Your one and only."

"Daddy!" I cried, rushing into his arms. Charlie caught me, wrapping himself around me and holding me while I cried. Leaning away from him, I brought my hands up to his face. "Are you real?"

"As real as I can be," he laughed, stepping away from me.

"Am I dead? Is that why you're here?"

"No," Charlie said, bringing his hands up to cover mine. "Not yet, anyway."

"Am I going to die?" The words tumbled out of my mouth, causing my heart to ache. The thought of leaving Edward was gut-wrenching.

"That depends," Charlie replied. Dropping his hands from mine, he smiled. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Trust me," he whispered, stepping away from me.

Turning, Charlie ran out the backdoor. I ran after him, barely seeing him run into the woods. "Daddy!"

"Come on, Bells," he called. "Hurry!"

Rushing through the trees, I searched for him. I could hear him, his laughter trailing behind him, but I couldn't see him.

"Daddy, where are you?" I cried out.

"I'm here." I stopped and looked behind me, but instead of standing in the middle of the woods, I was standing in the middle of my classroom. Charlie was leaning against the back wall. The room was dark; the only light came from the moonlight that trickled from the bare windows.

"What are we doing here?" I whimpered.

"You tell me," Charlie said.

I grimaced. "How should I know? You brought me here."

"Did I?" Charlie shrugged his shoulders.

"You just did!" I exclaimed, searching for a way out, but the door that normally led to the playground was gone, only a white cement wall remained. "Daddy, please tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," Charlie said. "I wasn't here, remember?"

"If you don't know anything, then why are you here now?" I groused.

Charlie pushed off the wall and walked over to me, frowning. "Because you need me."

Closing my eyes, I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his chest. "Take me home, Daddy. I don't want to be here anymore."

"Home with me?" he asked. "Or with Edward?"

I looked up at him. "Edward?"

Charlie smiled. "Yeah, you know, that husband of yours. Can't you hear him? He's calling you?"

I tried to hear Edward, but all I could hear around me where the cries from my children, Angela whimpering, and Dwyer's demands for his son, for me to shut up, his threats to turn me into his whore. Cowering into Charlie's arms, I whimpered.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetheart," Charlie soothed. "Listen for him — just him."

Closing my eyes, I tried to hear Edward. Slowly, the sounds of my children's voices trickled away, and Dwyer's rough and grainy threats were buried under the sound of Edward's soft, velvety voice:

"_I miss you," Edward whispered. "I need you, come back to me, Bella. Please, come home to me."_

Gasping, I turned and searched for Edward, but I couldn't find him. However, the door to my classroom was back. Charlie leaned down and whispered in my ear. "He's waiting for you. Go to him."

"Daddy," I whimpered, looking back at him.

"I know," he murmured, kissing my forehead.

"I love you, Daddy," I whispered.

"I love you, too." Stepping away from me, Charlie smiled. "Be happy, Bella. That's all I want for you. Just for you to be happy."

Charlie moved into the shadows, making it impossible for me to see him anymore. Turning back to the door, I wrapped my arms around my torso and crossed the classroom. I enveloped my fingers around the door handle and turned. When I pushed the door open, I was blinded by a bright light, causing me to turn my face away. Taking a deep breath, I walked through the door, and the sound of my husband's pleas.

**Thank you for all the reviews! I have to tell you, I was very anxious about coming back to this story after the recent events. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Happy Holidays to you and yours!**


	29. Chapter 29

**EPOV — PRESENT DAY**

The constant beeping coming from the monitors that were hooked up to my wife was getting old. Another three days had passed since Bella had coded, three more days of me sitting at her bedside, pleading with her to come back to me. With each passing day, I feared that I'd never get to hold her in my arms again, never get to kiss her, to tell her how much I loved her. The thought of never seeing her dark, piercing brown eyes caused my heart to physically hurt. I needed her so much.

The door to Bella's room slid open and I looked over, surprised to see Jasper coming in. Like Alice, Emmett, and Rose, he'd been in the hospital every moment of every day, but he'd stayed out in the waiting room, trying to keep the press and, now, my parents from getting into Bella's room.

"Hey," I muttered, turning back to Bella.

"Hey," Jasper sighed, pulling the other chair up to Bella's bedside. Reaching out, he took hold of her other hand. "How's she doing?"

"Same," I replied, bringing her hand up to my lips.

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

I snorted and looked over at him. "Rose send you in here?"

Jasper smiled. "Her and Alice."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I groused. "I ate something this morning, though I don't know that it could be called food."

"Yeah, the food in this place is pretty nasty," he agreed.

"No shit," I muttered,

"Edward, we need to talk," Jasper started, pulling my attention over to him, "about what you're going to do if . . ."

"If what?" I asked.

"If Bella doesn't wake up," he replied. I tensed. "Look, I'm sorry, but it's been a week and there hasn't been any sign of life."

"I can't give up on her," I whimpered. "Not after everything I've done to her, Jas. I owe her more than that."

"Maybe," he said. "But you were hurting, too." I shook my head. "Look, I'm not saying that you have to decide on anything today, man. Just think about what you're going to do if she doesn't wake up. You know what she went through with her dad; she wouldn't want to be hooked up to machines like this."

"I can't lose her, Jas," I cried. "Not after losing our daughter, too."

"I know, man." Jasper reached over Bella's legs and placed his hand on my shoulder.

Blinking back my tears, I leaned my forehead on the edge of Bella's bed and whispered, "I miss you. I need you, come back to me, Bella. Please, come home to me."

**FOUR YEARS AGO**

"Bella, move your ass," I yelled, pacing by the door to our apartment.

"Damn it, Edward, calm down," Bella groused, hopping down the hallway and trying to shove her foot into her shoe. "I'm moving as fast as I can."

"I know," I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I'm just so excited."

Bella smiled and walked over to me, sliding her arms around my waist. "I am, too, baby, but rushing me is pissing me off."

"I'm sorry," I muttered again.

"It's okay," she giggled. "Now, are you ready?"

"More than ready," I murmured, leaning down and kissing her. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I think I am," she whispered.

Bella and I made our way down to my car and loaded up. We were meeting Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice for dinner. After three weeks of keeping the news that we were having a baby a secret from everyone, Bella and I were finally going to share our happiness with them. Of course, if I'd had it my way, they would have already known, but Bella wanted to keep it private until after she went to the doctor and we knew that everything was okay. Her appointment had been the day before and her doctor, Dr. Riley Biers, confirmed that everything was perfect — absolutely perfect.

"I bet Alice squeals," Bella giggled. I looked over at her, noticing that she was rubbing her stomach. At her appointment the day before, Riley had measured her to be ten weeks along, which means that her due date would be two days before Christmas.

"I bet she squeals and cries," I laughed. "Emmett will cry, too. He's a big softie."

"Yeah, he is," Bella murmured. Sighing, she looked out the window. "Have you heard from your parents?"

"No," I grumbled, trying very hard not to let my anger at my parents get the best of me.

The day they barged into our lives and tried to buy us off with a house had done nothing but cause me to detest them more. When Bella ran into our room, fearful of how I'd react to the news of the baby, Esme started weeping, claiming that Bella had gotten pregnant as a way of sinking her hooks into me. Her words, not mine. I'd been so furious. Carlisle and Esme left in a tiff and I went in to comfort my wife. My parents would never change, that much was clear.

"Emmett said they called him last week, but you know how he is," I added. Bella nodded, but didn't reply. "Have I told you that you look beautiful today?"

Bella blushed and smiled. "No."

"You look amazing," I murmured, lifting her hand up to my lips.

"Thanks," she giggled. "You look pretty good, too. You know, for a guy."

"Gee, thanks," I scoffed, turning into the parking lot of the steakhouse Emmett had picked out. I parked next to his jeep and turned off the car. Looking over at Bella, I grinned. "You ready?"

Bella released a heavy breath and nodded. "As ready as I will ever be."

Climbing out of the car, I rushed around to her side and offered her my hand. Bella's cheeks flushed as she allowed me to help her out of the car. I slid my arm around her waist and led her into the restaurant. Emmett and Rose were the only ones here so far. I gestured to them and told the hostess that we'd seat ourselves.

"Hey, guys," Rose giggled, standing up and hugging Bella as we came up to the table. "I feel like I haven't talked you in weeks!"

"When in reality, it was yesterday," Bella teased, taking the seat next to Rose. "I'm sorry that I haven't been around. This semester is killing me, but thankfully, I only have one more week and then I will be done."

"Finally," Emmett snickered. "Took you long enough to get through school."

"Four years!" Bella exclaimed, waving a hand in the air. "Some would call that normal."

"You're anything but normal." Emmett winked at her before he picked up his beer and took a drink. My brother was chipper — too chipper. But before I could question him, Alice and Jasper showed up.

"Oh, thank god," Alice whined, sliding into the seat next to Emmett. She reached over and tugged the beer from his hand and drank the rest of it.

"Yo, that was mine!" Emmett groused.

"Yeah, well, I needed it more," Alice snarked. "Work was a bitch today."

"Is your boss giving you shit again?" Bella asked.

"Every fucking day," she muttered. "I swear, I'm tempted to just quit and start my own business."

"So why don't you?" I asked.

Alice snorted. "Um, because we don't have the capital."

"Can you get a loan?" Bella wondered.

"Oh, I don't know," Alice mumbled. "It'd be a huge risk. What if we defaulted on the loan? It would cost us everything."

"It'd be worth the chance," Jasper said, sliding his arm around Alice. She smiled and looked up at him. "I've already told you that I'd support you in whatever you choose to do, darlin."

"I know," Alice whispered. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and looked around at all of us. "Enough about me. How's everything with y'all? I swear, it feels like forever since we've been out like this."

Before we could say anything, our waitress came over and took our drink orders. While Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice all ordered beers, Bella and I chose water, earning us a cocked eyebrow from everyone. Since we already knew what we wanted to eat, we ordered our dinner, too. Once our waitress had left to turn our order in, everyone turned their attention back to me and Bella.

"Water?" Emmett asked. "Why in the hell would you pick water?"

"Why not?" Bella countered, with a raised eyebrow. I could tell that my wife was enjoying this little game — probably a little too much.

"Because water is nasty," Emmett chuckled.

"It's better for you than that crap you're drinking," Bella jibed.

"Probably, but my beer is gonna taste a hell of a lot better than that crap." Emmett smirked as he picked up his beer bottle, but when he realized that Alice had drank it all; he huffed and slammed it down on the table. "Or it will when I get a new one."

We all laughed as our waitress brought our drinks to us, setting a new beer in front of Emmett. He winked at Bella before taking a hefty swig, choking on it.

"Oh, Em," Bella giggled, reaching across the table and patting his hand. "You're precious. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

"You're using your teacher voice on me!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Bella gasped, feigning hurt. "No, I wasn't."

"Oh, yeah, you were," Emmett grumbled. "You think I'm stupid."

"Just a little," Bella teased, winking at Emmett.

"Bella!" Emmett shook his head and wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulder. "Baby, you can't invite her to the wedding; she's mean."

"What wedding?" Alice asked, before the rest of us could utter a sound.

Rose and Emmett grinned. "Our wedding," Rose squealed, lifting her left hand up and showing everyone her ring. There nestled on her left ring finger was a large, princess-shaped diamond engagement ring. Bella let out a strangled sob as she launched herself into Rose's arms, mumbling about being happy for her and the big oaf. Her words, not mine.

"Thanks, Bella," Rose cried. They pulled apart and looked around at everyone. "Needless to say, we're very excited."

"Oh, we're excited for you," Alice gushed, sighing happily. "I was starting to think the giant wasn't ever going to come to his senses."

"Hey!" Emmett exclaimed.

"You know I love you, Em," Alice snickered, hugging our brother. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Ali." Emmett was beaming as she took her seat.

"So, when's the big day?" I asked, smiling. "I can't wait to see Emmett in a tux."

"We're thinking Christmas," Rose explained, looking between Alice and Bella. "Of course, I'm hoping that you two will be my made of honors?"

"Oh, of course, Rose," Alice squealed.

"I can't," Bella whispered, causing everyone to look over at her.

"What?" Rose asked, the hurt evident in her voice. "Why not?"

Shifting her eyes up to mine, Bella silently asked me if she should tell them. I nodded, knowing they weren't going to drop it until she did. But I knew Bella, and the last thing she wanted to do was take the spotlight away from Rose and Emmett.

Sighing, Bella looked back over at Rose. "Because I'm pregnant, due right before Christmas."

For a split second, nobody seemed to move or breathe. But then, Alice began squealing and Rose started crying. Emmett sniffed back his tears, but we all saw them, and Jasper, being the quiet one of the group, was the first one to speak.

"A baby?" he asked. "You're gonna have a baby?"

"Yes," I said, smiling and wrapping my arm around my wife. "Bella and I are having a baby."

"Oh, wow," Emmett mused with a laugh. "A baby?"

"Yes, a baby," Bella giggled, placing her hand on her belly. "A real baby."

"Bella," Rose cried, reaching over and pulling my wife into her arms. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Rose," Bella whispered. "Sorry I can't be in your wedding, but I'll be a little busy around then."

"Don't be silly," Rose giggled, bringing her hand up to Bella's face and wiping away her tears. "We'll wait till after the baby is born or something."

"No, you shouldn't have to put off your plans because of me," Bella grumbled.

"Nonsense," Emmett scoffed, pulling our attention to him. "Bella, you're a part of our family and we want you to stand up with us when we get married." He shrugged his shoulders. "Hell, if it wasn't for the fit you'd throw, we'd just run down to city hall like Ali and Jasper did, but we know you think it's important to have a wedding."

Bella frowned. "I'm sorry you feel like that, Em. You can do whatever you want, I really don't care."

"I didn't mean it like that," Emmett muttered. Reaching around Rose, Emmett grabbed Bella's hand. "I simply meant that family is important to you."

"But if you don't want a wedding," Bella fretted.

"Don't listen to him, honey," Rose said, softly. "I want it all: the dress, the flowers, the cake, all of it. But I only want it if you and Edward, Alice and Jasper are there with us."

"Like we'd be anywhere else," Bella wept, falling into my arms.

Rose frowned and looked up at me. "She's fine," I insisted. "Just overwhelmed and emotional."

"I'd imagine so," Rose murmured, rubbing Bella's back.

After a few minutes, Bella seemed to regain some control over herself and wiped the last few tears that lingered on her face away. Taking a deep breath, she looked around at everyone, her cheeks turning bright pink from the attention. I tightened my arm around her, holding her close to me.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be sorry," Alice murmured. "We're so happy for you and Edward, Bella. How far along are you?"

"Um, about ten weeks," she told them. "We found out a few weeks ago but I wanted to make sure that everything with the baby was okay before we told anyone else."

"Else?" Emmett asked. "Who else knows?"

Bella tensed up next to me, but I was the one who answered him. "Mom and Dad."

"What?" Alice seethed. "You told them before telling us!"

"Not exactly," I said. "They came over a few weeks ago and . . . anyway, things got heated. Mom and Dad were there when I found the unused pregnancy test, Mom made a few ugly comments, and I kicked their asses out of our apartment."

"That fucking bitch," Alice snarled. Jasper wrapped his arm around Alice, nestling her against him. My sister had never forgiven our parents for the way they treated Jasper, Bella, or Rose, not to mention that Esme and Carlisle had threaten not to pay for her school when she and Jasper first got engaged.

"What'd she say?" Emmett growled, gripping the empty beer bottle tightly in his hand.

"It doesn't matter what she said," Bella muttered, looking away. "I'm sure when the baby is born; she'll love him or her. I mean, who doesn't love a baby, right?"

"Bella," Rose whispered, pulling my wife's attention to her. "Are you happy about the baby?"

"I've never been happier," Bella murmured, smiling and dropping her hand to her stomach. "I already love him or her."

Rose smiled and looked over at me. "And you? Are you happy about the baby?"

"Yes, Rose," I replied, leaning over and kissing the side of Bella's head. "Our baby will be loved by both of us."

"Then it doesn't matter what the fucking bitch said," Rose chirped, causing Bella to laugh.

By the time Bella and I got back to our apartment, we were stuffed and tired, yet happy. Our evening with our friends and family had been full of laughter and happiness. Bella stripped off her clothes and climbed onto our bed completely naked.

Reaching for me, she whispered, "Make love to me."

As always, I was unable to refuse my wife anything. Tearing my own clothes off, I joined her on the bed and spent the night worshiping her body, reminding her with every touch, every kiss that I was in love with her.

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	30. Chapter 30

**BPOV—THREE YEARS AGO**

Rolling onto my side, I stretched out and reached for Edward, but found the bed empty. Sitting up, I looked around our room for him, but just like with the bed, I couldn't find him. I knew from his schedule that he wasn't working until tonight, which made me nervous. Every time he and Jasper had the graveyard shift, my nerves got the best of me. The crazies seemed to come out more when the sun went down.

I'd just thrown the blankets off of me when the door to our bedroom was kicked open and Edward walked in with a tray of food in his hands. He'd pulled on a pair of plaid pajama pants that hung loosely on his hips and left very little to my imagination. Adding the way his hair looked like I'd just ran my fingers through it, grabbing onto it in a moment of pure ecstasy, and I was struggling to keep my composure. My husband was damn sexy.

"Morning, baby," Edward murmured, placing the tray over my legs. I smiled as I looked down at the plate of eggs, toast, and grapefruit. Well, as much as I could over my belly. I'd just hit twenty-four weeks in my pregnancy and it showed. I'd pooped a handful of weeks ago, and was sporting quite the belly. I loved every inch of it. So far, my pregnancy had been perfect. A couple bouts with morning sickness, but both the baby and I were in good health.

"Um, you made me breakfast in bed?" I asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

"I did." Edward smiled and climbed onto the bed next to me. Dropping his hand to my stomach, he inhaled when our baby pushed against his hand. Every time he got the chance, he tried to feel the baby moving. "You and the little one are going to need all your strength to handle, well, all of the little ones in your class."

"Yeah, we will," I laughed. Today I was the first day of school, which meant my first day as the new kindergarten teacher at Clover Elementary. After I completed my student teaching and received my bachelor's degree from Berkeley, Leslie White, the teacher who'd supervised my student teaching, had recommended me to replace her. She was retiring, opting to move closer to where her daughter lived so she could enjoy her new grandson more.

I'd been shocked when the principal, Jacob Black, called and asked me to come in and speak with him. I was even more surprised when he offered me the job, despite the fact that I was pregnant and due just two days before Christmas.

"Are you nervous?" Edward asked, pulling me out of my internal ramblings.

"Very," I murmured, taking a bit of my eggs. "But I'm more excited. I've spent plenty of time getting my classroom ready, and now, we just need to have fun."

"You smile when you talk about teaching," Edward commented, leaning back against his pillows. "Just promise me that you'll be careful. You get tired so easily right now. Sit down when you can, don't overdo."

"I promise." Shifting my eyes over to him, I whispered, "Promise me that you and Jas will be careful tonight." Edward sighed, just like he always did when I asked him to make me this promise. "Edward, please? It will make me sleep better tonight knowing that you're going to be safe."

"I promise, you silly, over-worrier," he murmured, leaning in and kissing me. "We'll be extra careful tonight. Now, finish eating. Today's a school day."

Laughing, I started eating. Edward lay next to me, dragging his fingers up and down my arm, acting innocent every time I turned and glared at him. Ever since I got pregnant, he'd been a hundred times as affectionate as he normally was. He was always finding a way to touch me, hold me, sneak in little kisses.

"Ugh, I'm stuffed now," I laughed, falling back on the bed and rubbing my belly.

"Good." Edward smirked, before leaning over and kissing me. "How about we take a shower together?"

"Hmm, I might have time for a good, hot shower." Climbing off of the bed, I stripped off my nightgown and tossed it over my shoulder as I sashayed into the bathroom. "Coming?"

"I'd better be soon," Edward hissed, springing off the bed and following me.

Edward wrapped his arms around me, plunging his tongue into my mouth before lifting me up and setting me on top of the vanity. His fingers found my breast, pulling on my nipple. The moan that tumbled out of my lips was throaty and full of want and need. Edward had just started touching me yet I was already skirting around the edge of a release.

"God, you're so fucking hot," he murmured, dropping down and sucking on my nipple. Thanks to my pregnancy, my breasts were large and ultra-sensitive — something that Edward often took advantage of.

"Edward," I cried out, my fingers finding their way into his hair. "Please, baby, please!"

"Please what?" Edward shifted his eyes up to mine, a cocky smirk twisting on his lips. "Hmm? What do you want me to do to you?"

"Fuck!" I nearly screamed. "I want you to touch me, to taste my pussy, to fuck me with your amazing cock. Just fucking do something!"

Edward's eyes darkened as he stood up, grabbed the sides of my panties and tore them from my body. As if I wasn't already horny, the fieriness in the motion had me trembling with need and desire. Wrapping one arm around my waist, Edward pulled me so that I was just barely on the vanity. He used his other hand to free himself from his pajama pants; his cock was hard and long. Stroking himself a few times, Edward placed himself at my opening and thrust into me.

"Fuck," I hissed, letting my head fall back.

"Yeah, I'm gonna fuck you," he moaned, pulling back slowly. Edward wrapped his other arm around my thigh, pushing my leg back. Shifting his eyes up to mine, Edward thrust into me again — harder than before.

"Oh, Jesus," I growled, slamming my hand against the mirror behind me. Edward always filled me in a way that took my breath away. No matter how many times we'd had sex, I never got used to the way he felt inside of me. "More!"

"I'll give you more," Edward gritted out.

Holding me tight, Edward began pounding into me. The sound of our bodies meeting, our gasps and moans, filled the air. With the hormones inside of me, it didn't take long for me to feel my climax wash over me — or the second or third. Edward was on a mission to make sure that I felt him inside of me all day. Finally, after the fourth orgasm, Edward stilled his hips and fell over the edge with me.

"Damn it," I panted, trying to catch my breath. "That was, well, that was amazing, baby."

"Yeah, it was," Edward snickered, kissing me before he slipped out of me. "Now, we'd better shower before you're late for school."

—WLB—

Somehow, I managed to shower, get dressed, and to the school with nearly twenty minutes before the first bell rang. Edward wasn't much help. During our shower, he let his hands roam freely — not that I minded, but I was pushing it. Once we'd managed to shower, I forced him onto the bed while I got dressed, ignoring the whistles and catcalled when I slipped my panties and bra on. My skin was the hot and the color of tomatoes by the time I slipped the blue cotton dress on.

I parked my car in the back parking lot and made my way into my classroom. When I opened the door to my room, I gasped when I found Edith Marks — the other Kindergarten teacher, Jacob Black, Mrs. Hitchens and Mrs. Duncan — the first-grade teachers who also occupied building D. With the exception of Jacob Black, I'd gotten to know all of them very well when I did my student teaching.

"Welcome to Clover Elementary, Mrs. Cullen," Edith chimed as she walked over to me. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me into my classroom.

"Thank you," I giggled, blinking back the tears that filled my eyes.

"Aw, don't start crying," she giggled. "I've gotta go open my classroom, but I'll check in on you in a little while. Okay?"

"Okay," I murmured.

Edith, Mrs. Hitchens, and Mrs. Duncan headed off to their classrooms while Jacob smiled and looked around my room.

"You made this place look real nice," he said. Before I could respond, he added. "Since you've got a large class, twenty-two kids, I've arranged for you to have an aide inside of your classroom. Angela will be here once the bell rings and she gets all the little ones sorted to their classroom. The first day of school is always the hardest." Jacob laughed. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be," I murmured, placing my hand on my stomach. "Thank you again for this chance."

"Don't thank me. I worked with Leslie White for five years, Bella. I learned a long time ago to listen when that woman says something. If she vouches for you so highly, then she's right. I have a feeling you're gonna fit in perfectly here at Clover Elementary."

"I hope so," I murmured, under my breath.

"If you need anything, you know where my office is," Jacob said before walking over to the door to my classroom.

Once Jacob was gone, I went over to my desk and tucked my purse inside the bottom drawer. Taking a calming breath, I stood up and went over to my door and opened it, finding almost two dozen kids and their parents standing outside of my room. Smiling, I said, "Hello. I'm Mrs. Cullen. It's nice to meet you."

One by one, I greeted my student and their parents, trying and hoping like hell that I'd be able to remember their names. Most of the parents came inside with their sons and daughters, and helped them find their desks, put their supplies away, and take dozens of pictures. Slowly, they left and all the children looked to me for guidance. I'd just opened my mouth to greet my students when the door to my classroom opened and I looked over to see Angela Weber walk into my room.

"Bella?" she asked at the same moment I said, "Angela?"

We laughed together. "Why did I never put Mrs. Cullen and Bella Cullen together," she chirped, shaking her head. "It looks like I'm your aide for the year, Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, um, okay," I murmured, not sure how I feel about working with Angela. The last time I saw her, she was flirting with my husband. Turning to my students, I started our day and hoped that Angela really was the friend Edward claimed her to be.

**PRESENT DAY**

My eyes felt like I had iron weights hanging on my eyelids. It took me several tries, but I finally managed to pry my eyelids open. The room I was in was dark, the only lights coming form out in the hall and the monitor beeping next to me. Shifting my eyes around, I looked for Edward. Of course, it didn't take long for me to find him. He was sitting next to my bed, his hand wrapped around mine.

I opened my mouth to call out to him, but the only sounds that trickled from between my lips were grunts. My heart began racing, causing the monitor to beep frantically. Edward snapped his head up, his green eyes meeting mine.

Edward's lips trembled as he stood up so fast his chair fell backward. "Bella, baby?"

I opened my mouth again, but I couldn't seem to get anything to come out before I started sobbing. The door to my room got pushed open and a doctor with sandy blond hair came rushing in He looked from Edward to me, a smile spreading over his face.

"We were starting to think you weren't gonna wake up, Bella," he said, moving to the monitors. "I really need you to calm down."

I wanted to — more than anything I wanted to calm down, but more than that, I wanted to tell my husband that I loved him. Clutching at Edward's hand, I pulled on him, trying to get him as close to me. Edward nearly pushed the doctor out of the way as he climbed onto my bed, laying with half of his body over mine. Our lips were just millimeters apart

"E — Ed — Edward, I —" I choked out, before Edward closed the distance between our lips and gave me a searing kiss.

"Alright now," the doctor laughed, pulling Edward off of my bed. However, I managed to keep hold of his hand. "Bella, I'm Dr. Garrett Mitchel. How are you feeling?"

"My throat hurts," I whispered, raspy. "My head hurts, and my chest hurts."

Garrett nodded, and sat down on the side of my bed. "Bella, while it's just three of us, I need to ask you if the man who held you captive — did he . . ." Garrett trailed off. "Did he rape you?"

Behind him, I saw Edward tense up. Closing my eyes, I muttered, "I don't think so."

"Okay," Garrett mumbled, standing up. In a heartbeat, Edward back on the side of my bed, his arms coming to rest over my legs, but the problem was, if I hadn't seen him drape himself over my legs, I wouldn't have known he was doing it.

My eyes widened as I shifted them up to Edward. "I can't feel it."

"Can't feel what?" he asked.

I pointed to my legs. "I can't feel you on my legs."

Edward scrambled off the side of my bed and looked toward my feet. However, Garret moved the bottom of my bed and pulled the blankets off of my feet. He grabbed my left foot and asked, "Can you feel my hand?"

With trembling lips, I shook my head. Garrett grabbed my right foot, asking me again if I could feel it, but once again, I couldn't. Sliding his hands up my legs, over my knees to thighs, Garrett questioned me on what I could feel, and what I couldn't. It wasn't until his fingers touched my hips, on top of my gown, that I felt anything.

Sighing, Garrett ran a hand through his hair and made a note in my chart.

"What does this mean?" I asked.

"I don't know. When you were shot the bullet came very close to your spine, but I didn't think I saw any damage. I'll need to run a few tests, see if something new shows or what we're dealing with."

"How soon will you know something?" Edward asked, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

"I'll put a rush on the tests," Garrett muttered and leaving my room.

Clutching onto Edward's hand, I pulled him onto the bed with me. Holding onto my husband, I allowed my tears to fall.

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	31. Chapter 31

**EPOV—PRESENT DAY**

"No — no, leave them alone! They're babies, just babies! Hit me, hurt me instead, but don't touch my babies!" Bella screamed, thrashing around in her bed. Leaping from my seat next to her, I climbed onto the bed and held her, trying to soothe away the nightmares that were plaguing her.

"Shh, love," I whispered. Bella snapped her eyes open, looking around the room. The darkness that filled her eyes had my heart breaking. Dwyer had tortured her, but the pain was all because of me. I'd done more damage to her than Dwyer's fists ever would.

"The kids?" she gasped, trying to take a deep breath. "Are the kids okay?"

"They're fine," I assured her. "Worried about you, but otherwise they're fine."

Bella nodded and closed her eyes. "And Angela? Is she and . . . the baby okay?"

"She was admitted to the hospital the day after . . . everything," I started, but before Bella could asked, I added. "She's fine. Well, she's doing well enough. She started having contractions, but they were able to stop her labor. She's been sending Ben down here every day to find out how you're doing." I smiled and brought my hand up to her cheek. "I guess today I get to give him some good news, though."

Bella frowned. "Yeah, because it's great that I'm a fucking gimp."

"We don't know that it's permanent," I argued. Less than an hour after Bella had woken up, Garrett had Bella going through just one of a battery of tests and now we were waiting for the results. "We have to stay positive, baby."

"I — I . . ." Bella began to weep. A sound of the door to her room sliding open pulled both of our attention over. There in the doorway was Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. I started to smile, however before I could say anything, Bella screamed, "Get out! Fucking get out!"

"Bella," Rose gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

"GET OUT!" Bella started thrashing against me, her nails digging into my skin as she fought me.

"You heard her: get out," I yelled, trying my best to hold her down.

"Edward," Rose called as Emmett dragged her out of Bella's room. Alice nearly fell into Jasper's arms as they left.

Letting go of Bella, I crossed the room and pulled the door shut, following with the curtain that covered the glass. When I turned back to Bella, I found her sobbing into her pillow, the top half of her body turned sideways while her legs lay motionless. Stifling my own urge to scream, I went back over to Bella, and climbed onto her bed behind her, wrapping my arms around my wife and holding her — just holding her.

**THREE YEARS AGO**

"Oh, God I have to pee so fucking bad," Bella laughed, bouncing up and down in the passenger seat of our car.

I laughed, and pressed down on the gas petal. "I'm hurrying, baby; I promise."

"I know." Bella smiled, and placed her hands on her belly, caressing our son or daughter.

Bella was thirty-weeks along and we'd opted not to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. As she said when we were deciding on whether or not to find out, it wasn't going to make a difference to us if we had a boy or girls so we might as well be surprised. And it really didn't matter to either of us. All we wanted was a healthy baby.

Bella glowed with joy and happiness. Other than a few bouts of morning sickness early on, her pregnancy had been so smooth and easy. And I loved watching the way her body changed as our baby grew inside of her. Not just her boobs either, which were even more amazing now. No, Bella was the most beautiful pregnant woman I'd ever seen.

"Shit, I'm about to piss my pants," Bella groused.

"We're here," I said, pulling up in front of the restaurant. The valet had her door open before I'd been able to shift into park. Throwing my door open, I rushed around and took hold of her elbow, nearly pulling her away from him. Bella, however, smiled and thanked him.

"You're so funny when you're jealous," she teased as I led her into the restaurant.

"I'm not jealous," I muttered, feeling my ears turn bright red. "I just don't like other guys touching you."

"Um, pretty much sounds like jealousy," Bella giggled as we stopped at the podium. Turning to the hostess, she said, "We're meeting the Cheney party, but I need the ladies room first, please."

"Straight to the back, and to the left," the hostess directed.

"Thank you," Bella sighed, looking over at me.

"I'll wait here," I assured her.

Bella leaned up and kissed me before she nearly ran through the restaurant toward the restroom. She came back a few minutes later, looking much happier. Placing her arm in with mine, we followed the hostess over to where Ben and Angela were waiting for us. Bella smiled, but I could tell that she was nervous about having dinner with them. She'd been very leery to trust Angela, even though I'd sworn over and over that she and I were only friends. When Angela called and invited Bella and I to dinner with her and Ben, her fiancé of nearly two years, I promised Bella that it would be okay.

"I was starting to get worried," Angela fretted, standing up and hugging Bella, who slowly brought her arms up and returned the gesture.

"Sorry. I had to make a quick pit stop," Bella replied, sliding into her chair.

"Restroom?" Angela asked. Bella blushed and nodded. "At least here you don't have to use those tiny potties like at the school."

"True," Bella agreed as our waitress came over and took our drink order. Bella opted for water, while I went with an ice tea. Giving us a few minutes to look over the menu, she left. "So, what's good here?"

"Everything," Ben laughed, placing his arm on the back of Angela's chair. "My favorite is the eggplant parmesan, though."

"Ugh, I've never been a fan of eggplant," Bella said. A frown drifted onto her lips, though a moment later, she shook it off. "My dad loved it, though. One of the few vegetables he'd eat willingly."

"My dad is the same way," Angela exclaimed. "My mom and I are constantly nagging him about it."

Bella brought her hand up and brushed away a tear on her cheek, though I don't know that Angela or Ben caught it. Five years later, and Bella still grieved for the loss of her father. Placing my hand on her back, I smiled and looked over at Ben. "So, how's the crazy game going, Ben?"

Ben laughed. "Well, we don't usually use the term 'crazy game' but it's going good, I guess. How are all the criminals?"

"Still keeping me in a job," I snickered. "Thinking about applying to be a detective, though."

"You should," Bella murmured, placing her hand on top of mine. "That way you wouldn't be on the street so much."

I nodded, knowing how hard it was on Bella that I worked a beat. With the baby coming in ten weeks, she struggled even more with me working such odd shifts. I tried to reassure her that I was always careful and safe, but Bella had grown up with a cop, she knew the dangers that lurked around every street corner.

Smiling, I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Like I said, I'm thinking about it."

Before Bella could say anything else, our waitress dropped our drinks off and asked us for our dinner order. Ben went with eggplant while Angela chose shrimp pasta. I ordered a steak and Bella decided on a chef salad with extra dressing on the side. Once our waitress left, Bella sighed and placed her hand on her belly.

"How much longer do you have?" Ben asked, tilting his head toward her stomach.

Bella smiled. "Ten weeks."

"Wow, that's not much time." Ben whistled through his teeth. "Boy or girl?"

"They don't know," Angela exclaimed, waving a hand around. "Or if they do, she ain't telling. I've asked her almost every day, yet she keeps saying that she doesn't care."

"And I don't," Bella laughed. "Seriously, all we want is a healthy baby."

"That's a good attitude to have," Ben replied.

"No, it's not," Angela whined. "I need to know."

"Why do you need to know?" I asked as Ben, Bella, and I laughed with her.

Angela scowled. "Because I'm nosy like that."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," I teased.

"Yeah, yeah; whatever, Eddie," Angela scoffed.

Before I could tell her not to use that horrible nickname, Bella placed her hand on top of mine and asked, "Not much longer before the wedding. Are you getting nervous?"

"Nope," they said together, both of them laughing a moment later.

"We've got a few last minute details to get worked out, but come November fifth, I will officially be Mrs. Ben Cheney," Angela giggled.

"What kind of details?" Bella asked.

"My mother is being a bit of a bitch. She wanted me and Ben to go back to Ohio to get married." Shaking her head, Angela sighed. "She's refusing to come and if she doesn't come, my father won't come, either; which means nobody to give me away. He's trying to talk her into it, but my mother's a stubborn bitch. Kind of like me."

"Yeah, you are," Ben said, kissing the side of Angela's head. "But being stubborn is your strength, baby."

"It is." Angela looked away, and a tremor ran through her. A moment later, Angela turned back to us, a smile on her lips. "I'm sure we'll work it out."

"If you need anything, just let us know," Bella offered.

"Thanks," Angela said, clearing her throat. Tossing her napkin on the table, she stood up. "If you'll excuse me for a moment . . ."

We watched as Angela headed toward the ladies room. Bella sighed, and looked back at Ben. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," he said, though I could see the worry in his eyes. "Her parents are a touchy subject for her."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that."

A few minutes later, Angela came back and sat down. Her eyes were red and I knew she'd been crying. Bella slipped her hand into mine and started babbling on about her students, trying to get the focus off of Angela. After a couple of minutes, Angela joined in with the story telling and everything was okay.

After we ate dinner and paid the check, Bella and I walked outside of the restaurant with Ben and Angela. The night had turned chilly and Bella shivered.

"Thanks for the invite," Bella said, placing her hand on her stomach. "We'll have to do it again."

"We'll talk at school, set something up," Angela murmured. "Hope you have a nice weekend."

"Thanks, you too," Bella giggled as the valet brought my car up to the front of the restaurant.

Shaking Ben's hand first, I took the keys and slipped the valet a hefty tip. Once Bella was inside, I ran around to the driver's side and we headed back to our apartment. Bella was oddly quiet during the trip, and I knew that she was thinking about Angela and her parents. Bella had always struggled with the fact that not everyone had such close relationships with their parents, which was one of the reasons why my attitude toward my parents was so hard for her to accept. In her mind, she'd let them treat her like shit as long as I still had them in my life. My beautiful silly wife, I thought.

Parking our car in our space, I walked around to the passenger side and helped her out. I wrapped my arm around her as we started the walk up to our apartment. However, we'd just made it up the first flight of stairs when we found ourselves face to face with Carlisle and Esme. Bella tensed up next to me. Other than a weekend back in July, we hadn't seen or spoken to my parents in since we found out Bella was expecting. When we did see them in July, they'd pressed us to accept their offer to buy us a house, stating that Bella and I had to think about our baby and not our own selfish desires. Once again, my parents' words had hurt my wife.

Esme smiled and looked from me to Bella and back to me. "Edward, darling, there you are. We were just coming up to see you."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, holding my hand up to stop her from hugging me.

Esme's smile faltered, but it was Carlisle who spoke. "We came into town to discuss Emmett's wedding plans. Rosalie certainly has been busy."

"Yes, she has," Bella murmured. "She wants everything to be perfect for her and Emmett."

"Clearly," Carlisle chirped. Shifting his eyes to mine, he added, "Edward, may I speak with you in private for a moment?"

"I suppose," I groused, knowing that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. I looked over at Bella. "Why don't you head on up?"

"I'll wait," Bella muttered, shifting her eyes to Esme and back to me. And I understood. Esme would follow her to our apartment, and the last place Bella wanted to be was stuck inside of our apartment with my mother. Nodding, I turned and followed Carlisle downstairs and outside.

"What do you want?" I asked, the moment the doors were closed.

Carlisle huffed. "Would it kill you to be civil? Your mother and I are trying to make an effort here?"

"Oh, yeah, huge effort," I scoffed. "All those phone calls over the last thirty weeks show just how much of an effort you're making, Dad."

Sighing, Carlisle shook his head. "We weren't sure what to say to you or Bella."

"How about hello? Or how's the baby? Or how's Bella feeling?" I pointed out.

"You wouldn't have told us if we did ask," Carlisle clipped. "Look, I didn't want to talk to you so that we could argue."

"Then what do you want?" I asked.

Carlisle pulled an envelope out from inside of his jacket and held it out to me. "Take this."

"What is it?" I wondered, taking it tentatively.

"A check," he said, causing me to snap my eyes up to his. "Five hundred thousand dollars for you to use to buy you and Bella a house."

"Dad —"

However, the words were cut off when I heard Bella scream from inside the building. Shoving the envelope into my back pocket, I ran inside, the air leaving my lungs when I found Bella lying at the base of the first flight of stairs — unconscious.

**Thanks for all the reviews. Just gonna drop this and . . . run!**


	32. Chapter 32

**BPOV—THREE YEARS AGO**

I watched as Edward and Carlisle walked out of the building before turning to Esme, who was standing with her arms folded in front of her and a look of disgust thrown in my direction. That was nothing new to me, of course. Esme and Carlisle had wanted nothing to do with me or our child. While Edward tried to keep the hurt he felt hidden from me, I knew it bothered him that his parents weren't excited about having a grandchild.

"Did you get everything settled with Rose?" I asked, trying to make idle chitchat.

"I suppose," Esme replied. "Rosalie may not be much, but at least she has decent taste. Of course, she did manage to get my son to fall in love with her or whatever."

I bit the inside of my cheek. When Edward and I had been planning our wedding, Esme had taken every opportunity she could to make it clear that I was nothing more than trash to her, who had a taste to match.

"She does," I agreed. "Of course, seeing as she's a professional wedding planner, I wouldn't have expected any less from her."

"No, I suppose not," Esme said, waving her hand in the air. Turning her hateful gaze toward me, she smiled — or tried to, but it looked creepy on her. "Well, you look . . ." Shaking her head, Esme laughed. "I'm just gonna cut to the chase. You've managed to weasel your way into my son's life, and now, you're trying to trap him with this . . . child. I'm not convinced that child is even my son's, but since he thinks he is and I can't change that, no matter how hard I try, I'm gonna make myself clear. Carlisle is giving Edward enough money to provide you both with a decent house to raise my grandchild in, and you will make sure he accepts it."

I stood there flabbergasted. This bitch insulted me, put down my child, called me a whore, and expected me to accept anything from her. Esme Cullen was a truly delusional woman. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath. "You and your money can go to Hell. Edward and I don't need either of you."

Having had enough of her and her attitude, I turned to head upstairs. However, Esme grabbed my arm, pulling back. I tripped over my feet and fell backward. I grabbed for her arm, but she pulled away from me. As my foot slipped off the top step behind me, I screamed and rolled down the stairs until I slammed against the wall, hitting my head against the edge of the bottom step. The last thing I saw before I passed out was Esme's standing at the top of the stairs, gaping at me.

—WLB—

"Bella, baby, hold on," Edward's urgent plea rang in my ears and pulled me out of the darkness. I snapped my eyes open, looking around frantically. I was in the back of an ambulance, strapped down to a stretcher. Edward was sitting next to me, holding my hand. Before I could say anything, a sharp pain stretched across my stomach, causing me to scream.

"AHHH!" My fingers curved into the back of Edward's hand, but he didn't seem to care.

The paramedic sitting was next to Edward, reached over and placed his hand on my stomach. His eyes closed just before he yelled, "She's contracting."

My eyes widened as I looked over at Edward. Tightening his hold on my hand, he whispered, "I know, baby, I know."

"Ma'am, I need you to calm down," the paramedic said, turning his attention back to me. I could feel the tears pouring down my face.

"Hurry," I choked out.

Time felt like it slowed down as the ambulance rolled down the highway toward the hospital. I sobbed, Edward cried, the paramedic told me to calm down, but with each contraction that wrapped around me, I felt our child's life slipping away.

Finally, the ambulance pulled out outside of the emergency room. The paramedics threw open the back doors, and Edward released my hand, jumping out the back. The paramedics rolled me into the emergency room, telling the doctors how I'd fallen down the stairs, how far along I was, what my stats were. I couldn't focus on what they were saying. Between the pain and fear, I was barely hanging onto my senses.

"Let's move her," the doctor yelled. In a flurry of activity, I was lifted off the stretcher and placed on the exam table. From behind the doctors and nurses, I could see Edward standing in the doorway, his hand covering his mouth and disgust in his eyes. "Honey, I'm Dr. Victoria Marks. What's your name?"

I shifted my eyes from Edward to the doctor and replied, "Bella. Bella Cullen. Please, you have to stop my labor. Save my baby."

"I'm gonna try," she replied, softly. "Can you tell me where it hurts?"

"M — my head. And my stomach," I cried.

Victoria, a tall woman with fiery red hair and hazel eyes, pulled out a pen light and shined it in both of my eyes, causing me to wince. Pulling up my shirt, she began pressing down on my stomach. I could feel my body shaking as she performed her exam.

"She's hemorrhaging heavily," Victoria muttered. "Okay, let's get her to the OR." She lowered her eyes to me. "We'll do everything we can, but you're baby needs to be delivered now or he or she isn't going to make it."

Nodding, I searched for Edward, finding him in the doorway still. As they rolled me out of the room, I reached for him. Edward was at my side in an instant. They rolled me into the elevator and up to the OR.

"Sir, you can't go in," Victoria said, tearing Edward's hand out of mine.

"No, she's my everything," Edward argued, trying to push past her. But Victoria held him back and pushed him into the grip of two male orderlies. "Bella!"

"Edward," I cried, reaching for him.

However, they pushed me into the operating room and moved me off of the bed onto the table. A flurry of activity surrounded me as they tried to get everything set up for the emergency delivery of my baby.

"Okay, Bella, I'm Dr. Watts. I'm going to be monitoring everything. I need you to count backward from 100," Dr. Watts said before placing a mask over my mouth and nose.

"100, 99, 98, 9 . . . 7, 9 . . ." Fading away into the darkness, I prayed that my baby would be okay.

—WLB—

My eyes felt like I had lead weights hanging on them. Trying several times, I finally managed to pry them open. I found myself in a dark room; only the dull glow from the monitors provided any type of lighting. Edward was sitting next to my bed, his hand covering mine and his head pressed against the mattress. I searched the room for our baby, or any sign of where he or she was, but I found nothing — nothing but darkness and a feeling of despair.

Tugging on his hand, I stammered, "Baby? Where's the baby?"

Edward looked up at me and I knew — in my heart I knew — the words he was going to say before his lips parted and he said, "She didn't make it."

"No," I cried, trying to pull my hand away from his. Edward held on tighter. "NO! NO! NO!"

"She went without oxygen for too long. They tried to bring her back, but . . ." Edward whimpered, bringing my hand up to his lips. "I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry."

"No," I screamed.

Edward was on his feet in an instant and sitting on the side of my bed. "Bella, love, there's more. They couldn't stop the bleeding. They — they had to take your uterus."

"But — but," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "No. No, they couldn't have done that."

"They had to. It was the only way to save your life," Edward replied.

"My life?" I snarled. "My life is gone. First my father, and now my baby? I don't have fucking life anymore."

Edward's face contorted in pain and anguish, but I couldn't take the words back. I'd had to sit back and watch as my father slowly died in front of me, and now, I'd have to bury my daughter. Turning away from Edward, I let my tears fall. I'd never get to see Charlotte Elizabeth Cullen grow up.

**PRESENT DAY**

I'm not sure how long I'd been crying in Edward's arms when the door to my room opened once again. Feeling my body tense up, I shifted my eyes over. I'd expected Emmett or Rose, Alice or Jasper to be coming in, but instead, I found Garrett. It was irrational — this I knew — but I didn't want Emmett, Rose, Alice, or Jasper to see me beaten down and broken again. I'd had enough of their pity for a lifetime.

Edward climbed off my bed, but slid his hand into mine. Garrett cleared his throat and came to stand on the other side of my bed. "How are you feeling, Bella?" he asked.

"I don't know," I muttered. "Everything but my legs hurt. They just kind of lay there uselessly."

Garrett nodded and sat on the edge of my bed. "I got the test results back. Though the bullet came close, it did miss your spine," he explained. "But the beating you took, did it's damage."

"Just spit it out," I groused. "Is it permanent? Will — will I ever walk again?"

"I don't think it's permanent, but only time will tell. As the swelling begins to lesson, hopefully you'll regain the use of your legs, but there is no guarantee." Garrett sighed. "I wish I had better news, but at this point, we're just in a wait and see pattern."

Closing my eyes, I let my head flop against my pillow. "So what you're saying is that you don't know if or when I'll get my legs back?"

"No, I don't," Garrett replied. "I'm sorry."

"Everyone's sorry," I gritted. "Just get out."

"Bella —"

"No, just go!" I screamed, interrupting Garrett. "Get out!"

"Okay," he muttered, standing up. Garrett looked over at Edward. "If you need me . . ."

"Yeah, I know," Edward murmured, sitting on the edge of my bed.

Garrett turned and walked over to the door, sliding it open. I saw Rose, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper standing outside the door. They looked at me with pleas on their faces, but instead of saying anything, I closed my eyes and turned away from them. A moment later, I heard the door close and felt Edward's hand on my cheek. Turning back to him, I let my tears fall once again.

"You're too far away," I whispered, giving his hand a tug.

Edward smiled and lay down next to me. Sliding his hand across my stomach, he let it rest on my hip. "Is this better?"

I nodded. "Did he die?"

Edward tensed up against me. "Yes."

"Good," I cried, tugging his arm up around me. "Good."

The feel of Edward's arms wrapped around me was both a comfort and an insult. I needed him: his love, his passion, his forgiveness. But now that I'd lost my legs, I knew that Edward wouldn't love me anymore. Once more I found myself damaged beyond repair.

**Thank you for all of the reviews. This chapter was incredibly difficult to write. I've had a really bad week and trying to delve into the darkness and anger I'm dealing with in my real life and use it for this chapter wasn't easy. **


	33. Chapter 33

**EPOV—PRESENT DAY**

I held Bella in my arms until she fell back to sleep. The pain — not just physical but emotional as well — stretched across her face and filled her pretty brown eyes. I wanted to take it away, but I couldn't. Just like before, I couldn't take away the heartache from my wife. The last time I felt this helpless was when we lost Charlotte.

Shaking my head I pushed myself off her bed, being careful not to wake Bella up. She hadn't been sleeping very well; nightmares had caused her to wake up screaming several times, though she refused to tell me what they were about. I wasn't stupid; I'd hurt her and now she was afraid of me.

Walking out of Bella's room, I slid the door closed behind me and dragged my hand over my face and through my hair. I felt frustrated. I loved Bella, that would never change, but I could feel her pulling away from me. Had I done too much damage in our relationship? Would Bella ever forgive me for not being the man she deserved?

"Edward?" I looked over at Rose, who was standing in the doorway of the waiting room. She rushed over to me, throwing her arms around my neck and started sobbing. It was so un-Rose-like that I wasn't sure what to do. "Is she okay?"

I released a harsh laugh. "No, Rose, she's not okay."

Rose pulled back from me, a scared hunted look etching over her features. "Edward?"

Shaking my head, I tried to stop my tears from falling, but I failed. Emmett, Alice, and Jasper came up behind her, each of them watching me cry. "She — she can't feel her legs," I barely managed to choke out.

"What?" Emmett gasped, stumbling back a step. Alice turned and buried her face in Jasper's chest, who looked like he was going to puke.

"That's impossible," Rose cried, trying to push her way into Bella's room. I grabbed her arm and slung her into Emmett's arm. She shifted her eyes up to mine, indignation springing up on her face. "Edward?"

"She doesn't want y'all in there," I said, even though it hurt to have to say that to them.

"What? Why?" Emmett asked.

Sighing, I said, "Because she's angry and scared and struggling with everything."

"She needs us," Alice insisted, looking over at me. "You — you need us, Edward."

"We do," I admitted, "but she's not ready to see you right now. She's been through enough, and —"

My words were cut off when I heard Bella scream. Turning on my heel, I pushed her door open, finding Bella thrashing around on her bed — well her upper body at least. Her legs lay motionless while her torso twisted from side to side. Bella arched off the bed, another ear-shattering scream trickling from between her lips. I rushed across the room and climbed onto her bed, sliding my arms around her. Bella whimpered, her body trembling against mine.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked in the doorway of her room, finding Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice watching us with horrid looks.

"Shut the door," I muttered, burying my face in Bella's hair. "Shut the fucking door."

I didn't see who followed my order, but a moment later, I heard the door slide closed. As I let my tears seep into my wife's hair, I prayed that God would heal Bella — both her legs and her heart.

**THREE YEARS AGO**

"Bella, you ready?" I asked, knowing it was a stupid question the moment the words let my mouth.

Turning to look at me, Bella simply nodded her head. She stood up from her hospital bed and walked over to me, sliding her hand into mine. It'd been five days since she'd been rushed to the hospital, five days since our daughter . . . since Charlotte, our sweet, beautiful Charlotte, had been taken from us. Today — today we were leaving the hospital, only to go straight to the cemetery and lay our daughter to rest.

It wasn't fair.

Tightening my hand in hers, I slowly lead Bella out of her room and down to the elevator. She'd refused to ride in a wheelchair. Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper had already cleared out the volumes of flowers and cards of sympathy from Bella's room, doing what they could ease our pain. Like it helped. We were supposed to be cradling our daughter in our arms, welcoming her into our home, but instead, we were leaving the hospital with nothing but a hole in our hearts.

The elevator stopped in the lobby with a jolt, causing Bella to wince. I slipped my hand out of hers and wrapped it around her waist, trying to do what I could to help her. She'd barely said more than a handful of words to me over the last few days.

"Come on," I whispered, ushering her out of the elevator and through the lobby.

Bella brought her hand up to her mouth, trying to stifle the sobbing that was forcing its way from between her lips. Five days ago we were happy, and now, our lives had been torn to pieces. All because my mother had to be a bitch.

Shaking my head, I swallowed the bile that had once again crept up my throat. When I heard what Esme had said to Bella, how she stood there and let my wife fall down the stairs . . . I'd never felt the urge to kill someone before, but it took Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice holding me down to keep from going after that bitch. Especially when she and Carlisle had the nerve to show up at the hospital the day after — the day after our world had been torn apart.

_Bella had just gotten back in bed after standing for the first time since her emergency caesarian. Tears poured down her face, both because of the pain she felt and the loss of our daughter. Holding onto her hand, Bella and I cried together, letting the deafening silence eat away at us._

_The door to her room opened and I expected to see Rose or Alice, perhaps even Emmett when I looked behind me, but instead, I saw Carlisle and Esme in the doorway. _

_Before I could utter a sound, Bella began screaming, "Get out! Get the fuck out! You coldhearted bitch! Get out!"_

_Startled by her outburst, I stood up and sat on the side of her bed, trying to keep Bella from hurting herself. "Calm down."_

"_Get them out," she cried. "It's their fault, all their fault!"_

"_Bella —" Esme started, the simple word causing Bella to thrash against me._

"_You killed her! You killed my daughter! It's all your fault! Get the fuck out!" Bella raged. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice came bursting into Bella's room, shoving my parents into the wall and the door._

"_What the fuck is going on here?" Emmett demanded, standing between me and Bella, and them. He looked over at Bella. "Honey?"_

_Bella's lips trembled as she raised her hand and pointed at my mother. The words that left her mouth, the pain that filled each letter, cut deep. "She killed Charlotte; she grabbed me and pushed me down the stairs. It's all her fault."_

Just like that any hope of ever having a relationship with my parents flew out the window. I lunged for that bitch, but Emmett pushed me back against the wall while Jasper dragged them out of Bella's room, all while Esme protested that she hadn't done anything to Bella. From what Alice told me, Jasper arrested her, but without any real proof that Esme had done anything to Bella, the chances of the charges sticking were slim. Carlisle had called a dozen times, but I couldn't talk to him. For all I knew, they'd planned for all of this to happen. For all I knew, he'd lured me outside so that Esme could harm Bella.

I hated them.

"Hey, I pulled the car up out front," Emmett said, rushing into the hospital. He looked from me to Bella, who was sobbing quietly. "Are you ready?"

"No," Bella cried. "No."

"You're never ready for this," I muttered, tightening my hold on Bella. "Ever."

Emmett nodded, but just stood there, clearly unsure of what to say. Somehow — and I don't know how — Bella and I managed to walk out of the hospital and over to where Emmett's SUV was parked. Rose, Alice, and Jasper were already in the backseat, waiting for us. I opened the passenger door for Bella, but she looked up at me, tears still falling from her brown eyes.

"With you," she whispered.

Nodding, I closed the door and opened the back door, motioning for Rose to trade places with her. Rose didn't argue with me, she simply slid out of the car and waited while I helped Bella inside. Once Bella was in, I ran around to the other side and climbed in, scooting as close as I could to her. Rose and Emmett climbed into the front, and Emmett pulled away from the hospital. Bella turned and buried her face against my shoulder, making no effort to stifle her tears.

Neither was I.

Twenty minutes later, Emmett drove through the gates of the cemetery. He, Rose, Alice, and Jasper had taken care of arranging everything for Charlotte's funeral, knowing that neither Bella nor I were up for it. I wanted to be thankful, and I was to a point, but we were supposed to be celebrating her birth, not burying our daughter.

Parking, Emmett cut the engine and looked back at me and Bella, sorrow and regret etched on his features. Before he could say anything — because there really wasn't anything for him to say — opened my door and climbed out. Solemnly, I walked around to Bella's side and opened her door, offering me her hand. She looked up at me as she placed it in mine, grief filling pouring out at me.

"I know, love," I whispered.

I helped Bella out of the car, wrapping my arm around her once again. After everyone was out, we made our way over to the dark, green tent that had been set up over Charlotte's gravesite. Neither Bella nor I had wanted anything big, it was hard enough saying goodbye to her without having to sit inside a church and listen to some preacher tell us how it was God's will, or whatever bullshit they spouted off. The fact remained that we hadn't been given a chance to get to know our daughter, to listen to her giggles, to watch her smile or grow. Instead, we'd been given an hour with her dead body, and our grief.

Life sucked.

A handful of chairs had been placed before the smallest casket that I'd ever seen, but none of us sat. The pastor — someone Rose knew — came over and greeted us.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," he said, and I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not.

Nodding, I brought my free hand up to my mouth, trying to keep from screaming when I replied, "Thank you."

"These times are never easy, so I will make this as fast as I can and then give you some time to say . . ." The pastor trailed off. "Let us pray."

While Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper bowed their heads along with the pastor, Bella and I didn't. I couldn't pray to a God who would take our daughter away from us like this, who would rob us of the chance to ever have children again. What kind of God would punish us like this?

Once they were down with their prayer, the pastor read several scriptures from the bible. After saying another prayer, the pastor stepped out of the way and offered us a chance to say our final goodbyes. Though both Bella and I stepped up to Charlotte, and placed our hands on her casket, neither of us could say goodbye to her.

"I love you, my sweet girl," Bella sobbed. "I'll never stop."

"I — I . . ." The words died out in my throat, and I brought my hand up to my mouth, muffling my scream. "I love you, Charlotte — so much. I'm your daddy, and I will always be your daddy."

Bella released a garbled sob and turned to face me, her knees buckling under her. I swept her into my arms and carried her over to the car, unable to stand there another moment. Slowly, Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper followed and we climbed back into the car, unable to handle standing in the cemetery for one more moment.

Twenty minutes later, Emmett parked in his space at our apartment building, though instead of climbing out, we just sat there. How were we supposed to go on with our lives now? How were we supposed to live without Charlotte?

**Thank you for all the reviews. This chapter was hard to write, delving into all of that grief. **


	34. Chapter 34

**BPOV—THREE YEARS AGO**

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" At the sound of Edward's voice, I felt myself tense up. Looking over my shoulder, I found him standing in the doorway to our bedroom with a frown on his face. I wanted to make him smile, but how could I when I couldn't even muster up the strength to do the same?

Shaking my head, I turned back to the mirror, running my hand down the front of my red shirt, and trying to ignore the feel of the scar from when they'd ripped me open and stole my daughter from me. "I have to. My leave is up and they won't hold my job any longer."

"Bella —"

"Don't," I snarled, turning and glaring at him. "I don't want to hear it."

"Fine," Edward gritted, pushing away from the doorjamb and walking away. "Do whatever the fuck you want."

Sighing, I sat on the edge of our bed and placed my hands on my knees. Like I ever got what I wanted. I wanted to be holding my daughter, to kiss her fat little cheeks, and smell the fresh sweetness that came with a newborn, but I didn't get that. I'd never get to have that and all because Esme Cullen stole that from me.

Tears filled my eyes and I tried to keep them from falling, as I had too many times over the last eight weeks. The school had been gracious enough to give me my maturity leave so that I could recover from the emergency caesarian and fall down the stairs, and while I took the time off, it hurt. Edward and I were supposed to be changing a million diapers, learning how to cope with two in the morning feedings, and everything else that came with becoming parents. But no, we would never get that chance and all because Esme Cullen was a bitch.

Just thinking about that woman had my blood boiling. I'd put up with a lot from her, from name calling to downright degrading me at every turn. No matter how many times she tried to hurt me, I'd put on a brave face and brushed it off because I didn't want to be the one to cause Edward to lose his parents. Turned out, it wouldn't be because of me. No, Esme and Carlisle were the only ones to blame for everything. They'd killed Charlotte, killed any chance Edward and I had of ever having a baby, and killed the thin thread of hope they had of Edward, Emmett, and Alice ever respecting them again.

"I'm leaving," Edward said. I looked back at him. "I have a meeting with command."

While I'd been trying to heal my body and heart from the damage Esme Cullen inflicted onto me, Edward had thrown himself into his job. At least he had something to make him forget Charlotte.

Nodding, I replied, "Okay. Guess I'll see you tonight."

"Bella, I . . ." Edward started, but then shook his head and sighed. Turning, he left me sitting there without another word. My heart ached for him.

Pushing myself off the bed, I slipped my feet into a pair of black flats and grabbed my keys off the dresser. I took another deep breath before I turned and walked out of our bedroom, but before I could turn down the short, narrow hallway, I found myself standing in the doorway of what would have been Charlotte's bedroom.

My breath caught in my chest as I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Since Edward and I rented our apartment, we hadn't been able to paint the white walls, but in the end, we decided it didn't matter. One afternoon in the early part of the summer, Edward and I had taken a walk down on the pier. In a small shop, we found a series of black and white photos of the beach. I'd fallen in love with them so Edward and I splurged and bought them for the baby's room. We'd added a dark, mahogany crib with sage green blankets, a matching dresser and a rocking chair that sat in front of the window.

I'd found myself in this room so many times over the last few weeks, letting my tears fall into the blankets that should have been warming my daughter, keeping her as snug as a bug.

I felt cheated.

Turning, I ran out of Charlotte's room and through the living room, and out of our apartment. Heading to the stairs, I hoped that I wouldn't run into Emmett, Rose, Jasper, or Alice, but as my luck would have it, just as I stepped off the last step between the second and third floor, Emmett came around the corner, nearly bumping into me.

"Whoa," he said, reaching for my arm. However, I stepped away from him. Emmett shifted his eyes down to mine. "Sorry, I didn't see you."

"It's okay," I muttered, bringing my hand up to my chest. "You off to work?"

"Yeah, I have a meeting with a contractor who's interested in building my new club. Not sure if they're going to work out, though. From the research I've done, they're not great about keeping on schedule."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what else to say. Clearing my throat, I shifted from one foot to another. "Um, I'm gonna be late, so . . ."

"Yeah, of course." Emmett stepped out of the way and frowned. "Bella, if you need anything —"

"I know," I gritted. "You've told me before."

Pushing past Emmett, I rushed down the last flight of stairs and out of the building. The memories of falling down those steps were fresh in my mind, and every time I crossed over them, I felt like I was reliving the worst moment of my life. Gasping for air, I walked over to my car and leaned against the driver's door. Would the pain ever go away?

Shaking my head, I opened the door and climbed into my car, heading down to the school. The parking lot was already almost full of cars. Parking next to Angela's sedan, I shut off the engine, but just sat there. I wasn't sure I was ready to be here, back with my students, but what else could I do? Sit at home? Watch daytime television? Read fan fiction? No, I couldn't lock myself away from life anymore.

"Stop being a coward," I murmured under my breath. "Not like they're going bite."

Closing my eyes for a moment and taking a calming breath, I slipped out of my car and headed inside the school. I stopped inside the office, finding Jacob Black standing in front the mailboxes. He looked over at me, and pity poured out of his dark eyes. Just what I didn't need today.

"Hello, Bella," he said, reaching out to me but dropping his hand to his side. "It's great to have you back."

"Yeah, thanks," I said, trying to keep the emotions roaring inside of me from filling my words. "I'd better get to my classroom."

"If you need anything," he stated.

"Let you know. Yeah, I know," I groused.

Reaching around him, I pulled my mail from my box and headed down to my classroom. I passed several teachers from the upper grades, ignoring the ways they stared awkwardly at me. Not a one of them understood just how much I hurt, how hard I found it to climb out of bed every morning, or slide between the blankets at night. And I hoped they'd never understand. Losing a child was something nobody should ever have to go through — not ever.

When I got to my classroom, I found most of my students and their parents standing outside of my door. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, as they looked back at me, huge smiles filling those tiny little faces.

"Mrs. Cullen!" Amelia Gaines squealed and ran over to me. Before I could prepare myself, she'd wrapped her arms around my waist. The tears I'd been trying to keep from falling betrayed me and cascaded down my cheeks. "I missed you!"

"I — I missed you, too," I whimpered, trying to control myself. One by one the rest of my students came over to us, joining our hug and murmuring how much they'd missed me.

"Okay, boys and girls," Angela called out from the doorway to our classroom, "let Mrs. Cullen come in so we can get started."

Slowly, they released their holds on me and I walked passed their parents, trying to smile, and into my classroom. The moment the door closed, I released the breath I'd been holding. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she simply replied before turning and walking over to my desk. Angela picked up a stack of papers and began placing one on each desk.

I walked over to my desk and sat down, stowing my purse in my bottom drawer. It was as I bent forward that the framed picture sitting in the corner caught my eye: one of our ultrasound pictures. My hand shook as I reached out and picked it up. It was during my twenty week scan and Edward and I had opted not to find out the sex. It just hadn't been important to us; all we cared about was having a healthy baby. Shaking my head, I let out a soft sob.

I wanted Charlotte back.

**PRESENT DAY**

Placing my hands on the mattress of my hospital bed, I tried to push myself up, struggling against the deadweight of my legs. It'd been a week since I'd woken up, almost two weeks since I had walked into my classroom for what I expected to be just a normal morning at school. Instead of spending the day teaching my children about the days of the week or the months of the year, we had cowered in the corner, praying for Edward to save us. Had he? Had he really?

I wasn't so sure. Yeah, we were alive, but at what cost? I let that man beat me just so that he wouldn't touch my children. While I didn't regret taking each hit, the fact that my legs were now useless made it hard to see the upside. I was tired of people robbing me of my life.

"Hey." I looked over as Edward walked into my room, sliding the glass door closed behind him. Garrett had insisted on keeping me in the ICU, where he could keep a closer eye on my progress as he called it.

"Hi," I murmured, trying to smile at him. "Where you been?"

Edward walked over and sat on the edge of my bed, taking hold of my hand. "Um, Ben called. Angela had the baby last night."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what else to say. While I'd struggled with Angela's looming pregnancy constantly being thrown in my face, I was happy for my friend. "Are they okay?"

Edward nodded and grinned. "Yeah. They are now the parents of a seven pound, six ounce baby boy."

"That — that's great," I murmured. "Name?"

"Well, that's the thing. He refused to tell me," Edward replied, cryptically. "Angela was hoping that you'd be up to coming up and seeing her."

I tensed. I hadn't left my room once in the last week and that wasn't due to a lack of trying on Edward and Garrett's part. Both of them had tried to get me to allow them to push me up and down the hallways, trying to get me out of my hiding spot as Garrett often worded it. Shaking my head, I felt the tears burning at the corners of my eyes and stammered, "I — I c — can't."

"You can," he murmured, bringing his hand up to my face and brushing off the tears that were sprinkling down my cheeks. "I'll be with you."

I sucked my lip between my teeth, trying to stifle my cry. "Promise?"

"I promise," he whispered, and for the first time in two years, I believed him with he gave me his word.

Nodding and leaning against his hand, I said, "Okay."

With a relieved smile, Edward climbed off of my bed and went over to the corner where the wheelchair Garrett had brought for me was sitting. He'd left it in here, stating that I could use it when I wanted. Up until now, I hadn't wanted anything to do with it. Still didn't, but seeing as my legs were useless, I didn't have much of a choice.

Locking the brakes, Edward slipped his arms under my legs and back, lifting me out of my bed and placing me in my chair. Thankfully, I'd changed out of the nasty hospital gown they'd put on me when I was brought to the hospital, and into a pair of plaid pajama pants and a T-shirt. Of course, it made going to the bathroom difficult, but Edward was always here to help me — for now at least.

Once Edward had me in my chair, he moved to the back and pushed me over to the door. He slid it open and pushed me over the threshold. Like they knew I was venturing out, I saw Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice standing at the end of the hallway. I still hadn't let them into my room, still hadn't spoken a word to them.

Rose pulled away from Emmett and started toward me, but I clenched my hands into fists and whimpered, "Edward, go. Please."

"Okay, baby," he murmured, pushing me toward the elevator. The doors opened and he pushed me in, pressing the button for the maternity floor. "You know, sooner or later you're going to have to talk to them."

"I know," I groused. "I'm choosing later."

Edward didn't reply, which I was glad about. It was irrational — this I knew — but I just couldn't handle looking at them and knowing that while my life was falling apart once again, theirs were perfect — always perfect.

A few moments later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened once again. Edward pushed me out, passed the nurses' station and down the hallway to Ben and Angela's room. I took a deep breath as he opened the door and maneuvered me into the room. Ben was sitting on the bottom of Angela's bed with their baby in his arms. She was laying back on the bed, eyes wide and watching her husband and son bond.

Envy bit at me. Even after three years, I still grieved for the loss of our daughter.

"Bella," Angela breathed, looking over at me. Bringing her hand up to her mouth, she started weeping. "T — thank G — God you're okay."

"Yeah, just great," I jibed, shifting my eyes to the ground. I wasn't okay; I was far from being okay. My body was covered in bruises, I had a near constant headache that Garrett assured me was normal and would go away as my body healed, and my legs were useless. Nothing about me was okay. "Um, congratulations."

"Thank you," she murmured.

"He's okay, right?" I asked, shifting my eyes back to hers. "Healthy and everything?"

"Yeah, Charlie's healthy," Ben uttered. I snapped my eyes over to him. "We wanted to honor your dad and Charlotte."

"Oh," I whimpered. Edward placed his hand on my shoulder, and I knew he was feeling the same as me.

"Is that okay?" Angela asked. "Because if not, we'll find a new name for him."

I shook my head. "It's fine," I wept. "C — can I hold him?"

"Of course," Angela chirped, immediately.

Ben laughed at how eager his wife was and stood up, walked over to me, and placed baby Charlie in my arms. I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't break at the feeling of him in my arms. I never got to hold Charlotte like this, not with her squirming in my arms, and soft whimpers trickling out of his mouth. Charlie was beautiful. He had a headful of black hair and dark black eyes.

"You two did good," I murmured, shifting my eyes over to Angela and Ben, who was standing by his wife and holding her hand.

"Yeah, he's beautiful," Edward agreed. "Thank God he looks like Angela."

"Thanks," Angela said, laughing. She looked at Ben, who nodded, before continuing. "Bella, Edward, we were hoping that you'd be Charlie's Godparents."

"What?" I gasped.

"Um," she stated, taking a deep breath. "We know you're dealing with a lot, especially right now, but . . ." Angela trailed off. "Bella, I watched while you nearly gave your life for your kids. I know you're angry right now, but I need to know that if something happens to me or Ben that Charlie's gonna be left in the hands of someone willing to give their lives for him. Please, be his Godparents."

"I — I don't know," I cried.

"Can we think about it?" Edward asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's a lot right now."

"Of course," they both muttered quickly.

Charlie started fussing so Ben came over and lifted him out of my arms and carried him over to Angela so she could nurse him. Edward and I took that as our cue to leave. A few minutes later, we were back in my room and I was back on my bed. Edward had settled down next to me, and taken hold of my hand once again.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said.

I shook my head. "Nothing really. Just . . . everything, I guess."

"Baby Charlie?" he asked.

"Yeah," I murmured. "Do you think we should accept?"

Edward released a heavy breath. "I don't know. It's a lot to accept."

"It is," I muttered, placing my hands on the mattress and pushing myself up again. Only this time, when I did, I felt something — something I hadn't felt in a week. "EDWARD!"

"What?" he yelled, jumping to his feet at the sound of my frantic voice.

"I — I . . ." I began to cry. "I can feel my toes."


	35. Chapter 35

**EPOV—PRESENT DAY**

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Bella could feel her toes. With my heart beating wildly against my ribs, I leapt across the room and yanked her blankets off of her legs. With tears springing up in my eyes, I watched my wife wiggling her toes.

"Oh, my God," I choked out before reaching across the bed and pushing the nurse's button. Sitting on the side of the bed, I slipped my arm under Bella and pulled her to my chest.

"Yes?"

It took several tries before I could get the words out, and when I spoke, they were thick with emotion. "Page Dr. Mitchell."

"Why?" the nurse asked, a hint of irritation in tone.

"Because my wife can feel her toes," I murmured, kissing the top of Bella's head.

I'm not sure how long we stayed wrapped in each other's arms before the door to her room was slid open. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Garrett rushing in, appearing to have just scrambled out of bed and looking exhausted.

"They . . . said . . . you felt . . . movement?" he managed to asked between gulping for air.

"A little," Bella wept, pulling out of my arms and laying back on her bed. "Just in my toes, but that's good, right?"

"Yeah, it's good," Garrett said, moving to the other side of her bed. I stood up as he reached out and grabbed her foot, dragging his finger down the sole of her foot. "Can you feel that?"

"No," she replied.

Garrett nodded and grabbed her big toe. "But you can this?"

"Yes," she told him.

"Can you move them?" he asked.

Bella sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and focused her attention on her toes. She moved them, but it looked like it took a great effort. After about ten seconds, she huffed. "That's all I can do."

"Hey, that's amazing." Garrett smiled and looked over at her. "More than you could do yesterday, isn't it?"

"True," she admitted. "Does this mean I'll get the rest of my legs back?"

"It's a good sign that you might," he murmured. Garrett sat on the side of her bed and shook his head. "I wish I had more concrete information to give you. The longer it takes for feeling to come back, the harder your recovery is going to be. Even with us keeping your muscles loose, there could be permanent damage."

"So even if I do get the feeling back in my legs, I may never be able to walk again?" The sorrow in Bella's voice, seared straight through me.

"No, I refuse to believe that," I said, causing her to look over at me. "Baby, you're going to walk again and when you do, I'll be right there celebrating with you."

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Of course," I insisted. "We're in this together, just like we always have been."

"Have we?"

Garrett cleared his throat and stood up. "I'm going to order a few tests for tomorrow, just to see where we're at. If you need anything . . ."

"Yeah, call you. We know," Bella replied, dryly.

Shifting his eyes between her and me first, he left.

Blowing out a heavy breath, I shifted my attention back to Bella, who was staring at me. "Guess it's time to talk, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so." Shaking her head, she looked away. "I don't know where to start."

"Do you still love me?" I asked and Bella snapped her eyes to mine.

"I never stopped loving you, Edward. But I needed you here and you weren't."

"You weren't, either."

Bella nodded. "No, I wasn't."

For several minutes, we sat there in silence. There was so much we needed to say, but I knew I was terrified to admit any of them. I'd already come so close to losing her too many times.

"Why is it that when it comes to just random, blabbering, you and I could talk all night, but when it comes to being honest with each other, we struggle to say a word?" Bella asked and I looked over at her. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too," I admitted, reaching over and taking hold of her hand. "After Charlotte . . ." Pausing, I struggled to keep the tears swimming in my eyes from falling. Even after three years, it hurt not having my daughter. "I wanted her so much, Bella. So goddamn much."

"Me too," she wept. "That was the start of the end."

"The end?" I gasped. "We're not over, Bella."

"Are you sure, Edward?" She lifted her eyes to mine. "You asked me if I still love you, but can you say the same? Are you still in love with me?"

**THREE YEARS AGO**

Pulling my car into my parking space, I sighed, cut off the engine, and leaned my head against the headrest. Today had been one of the longest days of my life. After I got to the station, I had to wait almost an hour for my meeting with Captain Davis. Jasper had been edgy all morning and had started pacing back and forth. Finally, Captain Davis called us into his office.

"Have a seat," he said; which I wasn't sure if it was bad or good. Captain wasn't one to let people get comfortable. Sitting down behind his desk, he looked over at me and Jasper. "Well, sit!"

We scrambled into our seats and waited for him to continue. For a solid two minutes, all he did was stare at us, which wasn't making either of us feel at ease with the situation. Just when I was about to ask him what was going on, he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out two manila folders. Something told me that they were our personal folders. That little fact did nothing to make me feel better.

"Boys, do you like it here?" he finally asked.

"Yes, Cap," we replied in union.

Captain Davis snorted. "You've been here a couple of years and have almost two hundred busts under your belts. Not bad for a couple of rookies." He leaned back in his chair and looked at the two of us. "As I understand, you've both applied to become detectives."

"Yes," I said while Jasper simply nodded.

Captain Davis pulled out a couple of letters and held them out to us. "Well, congratulations."

Nearly ripping it out of his hands, I unfolded the paper and read the words for myself. I'd done it; I'd been accepted into the program.

"I just want you both to know that I've requested that you be assigned to my station again." I shifted my attention to Captain Davis, who looked uncomfortable. "You're good cops, and you'll be even better detectives."

I'd be the first to admit to being taken back by his words. Neither Jasper nor I spoke about what this meant. To be honest, ever since Charlotte, Jasper hadn't really talked to me much. I suspected that he didn't know what to say to me, and I couldn't blame him. I didn't know what to say either. Even though I never really knew her, I missed my daughter.

Shaking my head, I climbed out of my car. The air was thick and muggy, the clouds were dark and threatened to open and pour its wrath down on me. Taking note that Bella was already home, I headed into the building. I wasn't surprised. I'd barely been able to get her out of the house over the last few months. She spent most of her days in Charlotte's room, grieving or in our bedroom, trying to sleep away our daughter's memories. Neither worked, and I didn't know what to say to her. I shouldn't have left her alone with my mother, but then, I never imagined that Esme would kill my daughter, either. Clearly, I didn't know my mother at all.

Thankfully, I didn't run into Alice, Rose, or Emmett on my way up to our apartment. It seemed like one of them, if not all of them, was waiting for me every afternoon. I wasn't stupid; I knew they'd arranged it to be that way.

When I walked into my apartment, the first thing I noticed was that all of the lights were off. That wasn't really unusual, but always put me on edge. Dropping my keys on the table next to the door, I went in search of my wife.

Just like I knew I would, I found her in Charlotte's room, curled up in the rocking chair we'd found. But instead of staring off into space, Bella was chugging down a bottle of wine. There were two empty bottles next to her.

"Bella," I said.

She looked over her shoulder at me, a scowl spreading over her face.

"What are you doing here?" she slurred. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

Ignoring her words, I walked over to her and grabbed the bottle of wine from her hands before she could take another drink.

"Give that back!" she yelled, trying to tear it out of my hands.

"No," I said, gathering the empty bottles and heading to the kitchen. However, I barely managed to take two steps before Bella jumped on the back, slamming me into the nearest wall. "Bella!"

"Give it back!" she screamed, reaching over my shoulders and clawing at my arms. "I need it!"

"No, you don't," I argued with her, trying to keep her from hurting herself while protecting myself. "Bella, stop!"

Bella shrieked and tore herself off of me, running out of Charlotte's bedroom. I followed her, but before I could stop her, she had rushed out of the apartment. Cursing under my breath, I dropped the bottles on the floor and took off after her. Bella was drunk, and she'd end up doing something stupid.

By the time I made it outside, it had started to rain heavily. I found Bella standing in the middle of the street, her face turned toward the sky.

"I hate you, God! You stole her away from me!" she seethed, her long, dark hair matting around her face. The heavy downpour had soaked her clothes, leaving her look like wet mess. "I needed her and you stole her! Why take her? Why not take me?"

"Bella," I called out.

She turned and looked over at me, a look of anguish filling her face. "I — I can't live without her, Edward."

"I know," I said, walking out to her and wrapping my arms around her waist. I pulled her out of the street and onto the sidewalk. Bringing my hand up to her face, I brushed her wet hair out of her face. "Come on. Let's go home."

"We don't have a home," Bella whispered, letting me lead her back up to the building. "We were supposed to bring our daughter there, but we can't because she's dead. That's not our home, it's Hell."

I couldn't disagree with her. Instead, I tightened my arms around her and lead her inside, upstairs, and into our apartment. We went straight to our bedroom, where I helped Bella strip off her wet clothes.

"Do you want to take a shower?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No."

Knowing I wouldn't be able to talk her into it, I slipped her nightgown over her and lead her to the bed. I tucked the blanket over her and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, I went back into our room with a cup of hot coffee for her, but Bella was already asleep. Placing the cup on the nightstand, I knelt down next to her and pushed her hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I whispered, through my tears. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from the pain."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Short chapter, I know, but it was an emotional one. Thank you for your patience over the last few weeks. My real life has been a huge rollercoaster.**


	36. Chapter 36

**BPOV — TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO**

The wheels on my shopping cart creaked as I pushed it down the aisle, but I didn't care. I couldn't care. Not right now, anyway. I needed food, and wine — lots of wine. Stopping in front of the chips, I grabbed a bag of Cheetos and some pretzels, throwing them into my basket hazardously. Next, I headed for the cookies, tossing two bags of Oreos and one package of oatmeal cookies in with the chips.

I'd just stopped outside of the freezer where the ice cream was when I heard my name being called. Turning, I almost groaned when I saw Rose and Alice standing there.

"Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Double Fudge Brownie?" I asked, turning away from them. "Eh, fuck it, I'll get them both."

Grabbing a gallon tub of each, I added them into my basket before turning toward Rose and Alice. They were staring at me, pity dripping of them. Yeah, I was pathetic, I knew it, but seeing them looking at me like that just pissed me off.

"Did you need something?" I snarled, causing them to flinch.

"No," Alice replied, quickly.

Rose, however, scoffed. "Damn, Bella, you look like shit. You didn't even bother changing out of your pajamas."

Shrugging, I looked down at the pair of black and red flannel pajama pants and red T-shirt I was wearing. They were Edward's. I'd stolen them from him when I was . . . pregnant with Charlotte. Tears filled my eyes and I tried to be discreet as I turned and wiped them away.

I missed her.

"So," I mumbled. "Didn't realize there was a dress code for the grocery store."

"There's not, but when was the last time you showered?" Rose leaned toward me, sniffing. "You smell like piss."

"Thanks so fucking much, Rose," I hissed, grabbing my shopping cart and walking away from them. It was summer break and I didn't have school right now, I could go a few days without showering, right? "Remind me to repay the compliment when your world is torn apart."

"Bella!" she called, but I ignored her.

She didn't understand, and I hoped she never would. My heart had been ripped out of my chest, my soul set on fire, and my life destroyed, all because I hadn't been born into the right family.

Stopping in the liquor section, I added several bottles of wine to my basket and then headed to the registers to pay for my groceries. Rose and Alice were standing in the front of the store with Emmett. Upon seeing me, he tilted his head in my direction, causing Rose and Alice to look at me.

I did my best to ignore them as the cashier rang up my groceries and I swiped my debt card and paid. Yanking my bags off the counter, I tried to walk past Emmett, Rose, and Alice, but they stepped in my way. Emmett reached out for me, but I stepped backward.

"I'm in a hurry," I said, trying to step around him.

"Bella, why don't we go get some dinner?" Emmett suggested.

"Sorry, I can't. Edward and I are going out to dinner tonight." The lie fell of my tongue effortlessly. Edward and I barely spoke nowadays, much less enjoyed a meal together.

"Okay. How about tomorrow night then?" he pressed. "Edward doesn't have class or work, right? So, the six of us can go out. It'll be fun."

"Maybe," I mumbled. "I don't know, but I'm late so . . ."

Brushing past them, I rushed out to my car, stowed my bags in the backseat, and climbed in behind the wheel. Tears burned my eyes as I fumbled with my keys, trying to get the right one in the ignition so I could start my car. They slipped out of my fingers and dropped to the floorboard. Screaming, I slammed my hands against the steering wheel.

"Stupid motherfucker!" I raged. "So fucking stupid!"

Movement at the front of the store caught my attention. When I looked over, I saw Emmett walking toward me. I reached down, grabbed the keys, started my car, and took off before he could reach me. The last thing I needed right now was to deal with him and his pity. Save it for someone who cares, because right now, I certainly didn't.

I sped out of the parking lot, nearly hitting another car as I pulled out into traffic. The other driver honked their horn at me, but I simply flipped them off and kept going. They could all go to hell for all I cared.

When I got back to the apartment, I grabbed my groceries bags and headed upstairs. I unlocked the apartment and placed all of it on the coffee table before walking into the kitchen and getting a spoon for the ice cream and a glass for the wine. Dropping down into the sofa, I poured myself a glass of wine, swallowing it all before refilling it to the brim again. Setting it on the floor, I grabbed the Double Fudge Brownie ice cream and tried to forget about the hole in the middle of my chest.

—WLB—

He was late — again. Edward was supposed to be home three hours ago, but once again I found myself sitting on the sofa alone. Tossing the empty ice cream container onto the table, I reached over and picked up the long, slender bottle, refilling my glass. I'd finished off the first bottle and this would be the end of the second bottle, but I still wasn't feeling its splendid effects. I wanted to forget my life, to numb the pain, but right now, it wasn't working.

The shrilling ring from the phone echoed through our apartment. Knocking the empty bottles to the floor, I scrambled to my feet and stumbled into the kitchen, pulling it off the base and bringing it to my ear without checking the caller ID.

"Hello," I mumbled.

"Bella?" I froze. Esme. Esme Cullen was calling. "Bella, are you there?"

"I — I . . . no," I whispered, letting the receiver fall from my hand. I slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor, and folding into a ball on the kitchen floor. I could hear Esme through the phone, calling out my name and begging me to talk to her. But I couldn't, not right now. She'd pushed and pushed and pushed me until eventually, she went too far. Esme Cullen may not have literally pushed me down the stairs, but with each hateful glare, each despairing word that she spat over my relationship with her son, she'd made her feelings clear. She hated me, hated that Edward chose me, and hated our daughter. How could I ever talk to anyone who could hate our daughter?

**PRESENT DAY**

A deafening silence filled the room as I waited for Edward's reply. I wouldn't be able to handle it if he didn't love me anymore. Though Edward and I had been drifting apart over the last few years, my heart still belonged to him. After losing my father, and then Charlotte, I couldn't live through him walking away from me, too. Edward had owned my heart and soul since the moment he kept me from falling on my face in the parking lot outside of our dorm.

"How can you ask me that?" When he finally spoke, the devastation in his voice had my eyes snapping to his. The look of pure agony etched on his face caused my heart to race. Edward placed my hand over his chest. "How can you question how much I love you? I'm here, aren't I?"

"Now," I said, quietly. "But what about over the last few years? You weren't there then."

Edward sighed. "I tried to be. I really did, Bella, but you pushed me away."

"I did not," I argued, pulling my hand out of his and trying to push myself up in the bed. The deadweight from my lower body was a constant reminder of how pathetic I was now.

"You did," Edward murmured. "The drinking?"

Closing my eyes, I turned my face from his. "Yeah, I suppose you're right there."

"Hey, look at me," Edward urged. Though I was reluctant, I turned to him. "I've never stopped loving you. Not once. But when you pushed me away, lashing out at me because of what happened, I couldn't handle it, baby."

"Couldn't handle me, you mean," I whispered.

"Not you. The guilt," he replied. The next words he murmured had his lips trembling and his chin wobbling. "It's my fault that Charlotte died."

Before I could say anything, the door to my room slid open. I huffed and looked over as thin woman with snow-white hair came into my room. She was wearing a dark power-suit; ones women usually wore when they were trying to dress for success, as Alice would call it. The thought of her had me flinching into my pillows. Edward was right; I couldn't keep hiding from Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper. I just didn't need them feeling sorry for me once again.

"What do you want?" Edward snarked. I was taken aback by his hateful tone. Shifting my eyes from the woman to him, I just stared at him. "That's Irina Donaldson, the hospital's public relations director."

"Oh," I murmured, understanding. I turned back to her.

"It's _nice_ to meet you, Mrs. Cullen," she said, but I didn't believe her. There was a tone in her words, one that said I'd made her life hell.

Of course, I didn't care. My life was falling apart. "What can I do for you?"

She smiled — her lips pressing into a thin line. "We've been receiving mail for you here, Mrs. Cullen."

"Mail?" I didn't understand. Who'd be writing to me? And why would they be sending them to the hospital.

"Yes, quite a lot of it actually." Turning, she walked out of my room, coming back in a few minutes later with a large, white crate filled to the brim with envelops. She placed them on my rolling table and plucked one off the top, handing it to me. It was addressed to me, but I still didn't understand. "There are four more of these down in my office. I need to know what you'd like me to do with them."

"Um, I don't know," I stammered, feeling overwhelmed. I shifted my eyes over to Edward, who looked just as shocked as me.

"Have them sent up here," he said. "I'll take care of them."

"Okay." Irina nodded, and turned to walk over to the door. However, she paused and looked back at me. "Mrs. Cullen, the press is breathing down my neck for a statement from you. I've done what I can to keep them at bay, but they're getting impatient. I don't want to pressure you or anything, and I know you're dealing with a lot right now, but . . ."

"We'll handle it," Edward said.

Irina nodded before walking out of my room. I released a deep breath.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll make sure the press leaves you alone," he insisted.

I sighed. "Edward, about what you said before —"

"Don't worry about that, baby," he said, interrupting me. "We'll talk more later."

"But —"

"Let's look at the letters," he said, reaching for one, but I grabbed his hand, pulling it to my chest. "Bella."

"Why do you think Charlotte's death is your fault?" I asked, needing to know. We'd left too much unsaid for far too long.

Edward's eyes flittered shut and he shook his head, but a moment later, he stood up and started speaking. "Because I saw the way my . . . Carlisle and Esme treated you, but instead of closing them out of my life, I kept trying. If I'd just been stronger, more insistent," he sighed. "I don't know. Maybe, they never would have been there that day, and Charlotte wouldn't have died. I'm sorry, Bella. I am so sorry for not being the husband you've needed."

"Edward," I cried.

"I didn't know how to handle it, you know. I wanted her — so bad. She was supposed to be my little girl, and I never got her. I felt cheated. When you pushed me away, I got angry — really angry."

"Me too," I muttered, thinking about how out of control I'd been. "I know I wasn't an easy person to be around. Maybe that's why you pulled away, but nobody told me how to handle losing our daughter."

"Bella, I'm not going anywhere." Edward sat on the side of my bed and cupped my face between his hands. "I've made a lot of mistakes over the last few years, mistakes that almost cost me you. I won't let you go — not now, not ever. That's a promise."

My eyes filled with tears, which spilled down my face. "I love you, Edward. I never stopped."

"I've always loved you, baby," he whispered, leaning in and brushing his lips across mine.

For the first time in months, Edward was kissing me. Maybe — just maybe — we'd be okay.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I am flabbergasted by the response this story has gotten. Now, I know Bella is being a bitch right now, and that won't be changing for a while. Grief is not easy to deal with, and it take time — sometimes longer than we're prepared for. Just remember that I am a HEA writer.**


	37. Chapter 37

**EPOV—PRESENT DAY**

Pulling my lips away from Bella's, I pressed my forehead against hers and smiled. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew we still had a lot of pain and heartache to work through, but at least for now, I felt like we had a future. For the first time since Charlotte was taken from us, I felt like Bella and I had a reason to be together.

"Don't doubt how much I love you, baby. I may not be perfect, but I never stopped loving you," I whispered, hoping that she'd be able to hear the truth behind my words.

"I love you, too," she whimpered. "I never stopped. Not once."

"Good," I laughed, softly. "We'll be okay then."

"I hope so," she murmured, tugging on my arm and indicating that she wanted me to lie down next to her.

I couldn't deny her anything, so I shifted over so that I was next to her. Picking up one of the letters that had spilled out of the bag, I held it up in front of us. "Should we read it?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Why would anyone send me a letter in the first place?"

"Only one way to find out," I said, sliding my finger under the back flap and opening the envelope. Bella didn't stop me as I pulled the letter from inside and unfolded it. It was clear by the handwriting that it had been written by a child. The print was barely legible, and the letters were large and messy. "Dear Mrs. Cullen, My name is Simon. I am in the first grade and I live in Texas. My mommy said a bad man tried to hurt you because you were keeping your kids safe. She cried and said that if we had more teachers like you, we'd be better off. Why are there bad men? Did their mommies just not love them enough? I hope you feel better soon, Mrs. Cullen. I bet your students miss you a lot. Love, Simon Barker."

"Wow," Bella cried, placing her hand on my chest. "He's a baby and has more insight than most adults do."

"He really does," I whispered, picking up another letter. Opening it, I pulled the paper out and began to read it out loud. "Dear Mrs. Cullen, My name is Amelia, and I am in second grade. Our teacher told us about that bad man who hurt you. She said that you protected your kids because you love them, like she loves us. Mrs. Cullen, why do bad men even exist? Can't God just make them go poof and they would disappear?"

"Isn't that the question we all want to know the answer to," she murmured.

"Yeah," I replied. "Feel better soon, Mrs. Cullen. Your kids need you to go back to school and keep them safe. Love, Amelia Jefferies."

Bella and I spend the rest of the afternoon making our way through the letters. Most of them were from kids, whose teachers or parents had told them about how Bella had fought for her kids. Along with letters from their children, dozens of parents had written to Bella, thanking her for being a champion for her students. Some were from the teachers praising her, but admitting that they didn't know if they could go through the hell she had for their students. A mix of emotions flittered across her face when she read those letters, like she wasn't sure if she should understand that they'd waver when it came to protecting their students, or be appalled that they would dare leave those kids in the hands of a madman if it meant her freedom. There were even a few from teachers who said that the fear of retribution from abusive parents was why they'd been reluctant to report cases of child abuse. It was amazing, and not in a good way, how much power fear had over all of us.

"Oh, my God, listen to this one," Bella said with a gasp several hours and hundreds of letters later. "Dear Mrs. Cullen, My name is Nicky, and I am in the third grade. Our teacher, Mr. Henderson, told us about your story, about how you fought to protect your students from a bad man. He said the man had hurt his son, and his teacher called the police on him. Mr. Henderson told us that if anyone hurts us, we're supposed to tell someone we can trust, but what about if there isn't anyone I trust? Who do I tell then? Mr. Henderson told us we could tell him, but he doesn't like it when we tattle-tell. Do all dads hit their sons? Is that normal? I wish more teachers were like you, Mrs. Cullen. Then, maybe, kids wouldn't cry in the middle of the night. Get well soon, Nicky Torres." Bella looked up at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. "Edward."

I slipped the letter out of her hands and took a look at the return address: Boise, Idaho. "I'll make a call."

Bella nodded and reached for another letter, but before her fingers could touch one, someone knocked on the door to her room. Her shoulders tensed, and she looked over at me. Sighing, I kissed her before climbing off the bed and walking over to the door, prepared to find Emmett, Rose, Jasper, or Alice standing there, perhaps all of them. However, I didn't. When I slid the glass door open, I found a tall, thin woman with long blond hair and compassionate blue eyes standing behind a small, fragile-looking boy with dark hair and eyes, who appeared to be shaking.

"Um, can I help you?" I asked.

The woman slid her arm across the torso of the small boy and said, "We're looking for Bella Cullen. Captain Davis told us this was her room."

I folded my arms in front of me, trying to stifle my anger at my boss for telling a complete stranger where my wife's room was. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kate Fitzgerald," she said, tightening her hold on the boy. "And this is my son — my foster son — Evan Dwyer."

**TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO**

"Cullen," Captain Davis barked from his office, causing me to look back at him. "Got a tip that your perp from the Henderson case is hiding out over in the Heartland Apartments over on Calumet, apartment 4C. You and Whitlock, go track it down."

"Yes, sir," I said, closing the file I'd been working on and grabbing my keys, badge, and weapon from my desk drawer. I found Jasper standing in front of the vending machine, tapping his finger against his chin. "Dude, get your Twinkies and let's go. We've got a lead on the Henderson case."

"I'm not getting a fucking Twinkie," he muttered. "I was trying to decide between the snickers or the peanuts."

"Get the snickers. You'll be happier. Now, let's go," I laughed, clapping him on the shoulder three times.

Jasper muttered something under his breath about me being an over-eager son of a bitch as he grabbed his candy bar and then walked over to his desk, grabbing his badge and gun. I wasn't over-eager; I just didn't want to see this guy get away again. He'd been on the run for a month and all because some fucking, naïve district attorney thought it was a good idea not to request that he be held without bail. The asshole had only been responsible for smuggling drugs through numerous kids. I wanted him off the streets as soon as possible.

"Let's go," Jasper said, leading the way out to our car.

Ten minutes later, I pulled the car up in front of the Heartland Apartment complex, grimacing at the rundown building. It was known to be a hovel for drug users and the homeless. Most of the time, we overlooked the place, knowing that even if we did raid the place, they'd just find their way back there eventually. Happened every time, but we couldn't do that this time, not with Malcom Henderson on the run.

"We should call for backup," Jasper said, reaching for the radio.

However, I scoffed and opened my door. "Fuck that. Let's just get in there and take him down."

"Edward, wait!" he called after me, but I had already shut my door and was halfway to the entrance to the building.

Jasper followed me inside. The place smelled like piss and shit. The hallways were poorly lit, just enough to make out the dirty grungy carpeting and filth-covered walls. As we made our way up to the fourth floor, I saw bugs the size of my big toe and could hear the mice and rats inside the walls. Stopping outside of apartment 4C, I motioned for Jasper to stay on my right side. He nodded and pulled his gun out, holding it up in front of him. Taking a deep, I brought my foot up and kicked the door in.

The apartment was dark and quiet. The smell of shit was even stronger inside there than in the rest of the building. Sliding against the wall, I lead the way inside, keeping my gun in front of me. The stench was nauseating, and several times, I had to swallow back the bile that filled my mouth. How could someone dwell in such a place?

Toward the back of the apartment, a light shone through the small crack at the bottom of the door. I motioned for Jasper to stay close as we went over to the door. I gripped the doorknob in my hand and threw the door open. Someone screamed, but before I could figure out who it was, someone launched themselves onto me. I fell back against the wall, struggling to get them off. I could hear Jasper screaming for someone to freeze before he took off running after whoever it was, but my main focus was the person attacking me. My gun flew out of my hands.

"Get the fuck off me!" I roared, placing my hands in the middle of their chest and pushing them back.

They hit the wall behind them with a thud. I turned in search of my gun, but stopped when I felt something sharp slice across my forearm. Throwing my elbow back, I heard a crunch as I came in contact with their nose. They slithered to the floor, and I was able to slap my handcuffs on them.

I had just read them their rights, when I heard Jasper come back inside the apartment. "Dude, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I grumbled, pushing the guy I'd just arrested out into the hallway. A heavy-set guy, he slumped against the wall in the hallway, next to an even heavier-set female.

"You're not fine," Jasper spat, grabbing my arm and pulling it toward him. I hissed as it began to burn. "You fucking got cut."

Shifting my eyes down to my arm, I saw the six inch laceration on my forearm. "It's nothing," I bit out, pulling my arm from his grip. "Let's take them in."

"You need to go to the hospital," he argued. "I'll call a car to come get them, and then take you."

"Fuck off, Jas," I snarled. "I'm fine."

Grabbing my perp, who fit the description of Malcolm Henderson to a T, I dragged him down the stairs and out to our car, shoving him in the backseat. Jasper and his female suspect followed. Without a word to him, we climbed into the car and headed back to the station.

An hour later, Jasper and I had booked Malcolm Henderson and his sister, Bertie, on several charges of drug possession and assault. Once again Jasper tried to get me to go to the hospital, but I, once again, told him to fuck off. I cleaned it and put a bandage on it, but the last place I wanted to go was back to the hospital, not after losing Charlotte there. Captain Davis told him to drop it, but made me promise to get it looked at in the morning if it was still bleeding. Though I could tell Jasper didn't agree with him, he let it go.

Once our shift ended, Jasper and I drove back to our apartment building in silence. This was the time of day I hated the most. I could tell he wanted to ask me about Bella, how she was doing, and how I was doing. We weren't doing anything. Both of us were miserable, but he didn't want to hear that. He wanted everything to be okay so badly that he would take whatever bullshit lies I sputtered as gospel.

"I'm checking on you in the morning, Edward," Jasper said as we entered the building and stopped on the second floor.

"I wouldn't expect anything different," I deadpanned. "Tell my sister hi, okay?"

"I will." Jasper shifted his eyes to mine. "Tell Bella . . . Well, just give a hug from us, okay?"

I nodded, knowing I wouldn't. Bella didn't like anyone touching her, especially me. "Night."

"Night."

Jasper waited until I'd cleared the third floor before he walked down the hall toward his and Alice's apartment. Closing my eyes for a moment, I took a deep breath and tried to steal myself for whatever shape I found my wife in. Though, lately, it had been drunk off her ass. I cringed to think about how much she spent on wine.

Unlocking the door to our apartment, the first thing I noticed was how quiet it was. The lights were on, but the television was off, the stereo wasn't playing, and I couldn't hear Bella, which made me nervous. Dropping my keys, badge, and gun on the small table next to the door, I locked the deadbolt and went searching for her.

The coffee table was covered in trash: an empty ice cream container, two half eaten packages of cookies, and two empty bottles of wine, with a third sitting on the floor next to the couch. Shaking my head, I turned toward the kitchen, finding Bella curled up on the floor. I could smell the booze radiating off of her, and it looked like she hadn't showered today, either.

Next to her on the floor was our phone. I knelt beside her and picked up the phone, looking to see who called last. I felt my jaw clench and the color drain from my face when I saw my mother's name on the caller ID. That bitch would never learn that neither of us wanted anything to do with her or that bastard who calls himself my father. Tossing the phone onto the counter, I turned back to Bella.

Sighing, I slipped my hands under her knees and around her back, lifting her off the ground. The cut on my arm pulled, but I managed to bit back my wince. I carried Bella into our bedroom. As I was laying her on the bed, Bella's eyes fluttered open. They were red, both from crying and the booze in her system.

"Hey, you," she slurred, grabbing the front of my shirt and dragging me onto the bed next to her. "Where were you? I was waiting."

"I was at work," I told her.

Bella smiled and moved so that she was straddling me. It had been months since we'd been together sexually and my body responded to the feeling of her on me. "Oh, someone is happy to see me."

"How much did you have to drink tonight?" I asked, sliding my hands to her hips. Though she drank like a fish and ate nothing by junk food, Bella had lost weight.

"One bottle," she laughed, toying with the buttons on my shirt. "Or two bottles, three bottles, four."

"You should sleep," I murmured, rolling onto the bed next to me. I climbed off the bed, but before I could take a step, Bella was behind me, her arms wrapped around my torso. "Bella."

"I don't want to sleep," she slurred, sliding her hand down the front of my shirt until she reached the top of my pants. She slipped her hand inside, gripping my growing cock, and I had to bite back a moan. "I want to suck your cock, baby."

"Bella," I groaned, because I wanted nothing more than to feel her mouth on me, to feel her body sliding against mine as we made love, but not like this, not when she was drunk. "Stop."

"Don't want to," she purred, keeping her hand wrapped around me as she climbed off the bed and stood in front of me. She began pulling at the button on my pants with her free hand. "Come on, baby, don't you want to come in my mouth. You know I suck good cock. Then you can go tell all your cop friends about how your wife is a cock-whore!"

"Bella, stop," I groused, grabbing her hands and pushing her away.

A look of hurt sprang up on her face, and a moment later, Bella brought her hand up and slapped me across the face. "Fuck you, you piece of shit," she spat. "I was doing you a favor anyway. I don't need your little dick, anyway. I'll go find me a real man."

Brushing past me, Bella stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Closing my eyes for a moment, I exhaled a harsh breath and walked over to the door, knocking three times. "Bella, come out."

"No," she screamed. "Leave me alone! I hate you, Edward! I hate you for ruining my life!"

I slumped to the ground as the weight of her words seeped into my soul. I had ruined her life because try as I might, I hadn't been able to protect her from my parents. I didn't deserve her, and now, I knew that she felt that way, too.

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews, but mostly, for the patience in which you've had while I worked on getting other stories completed. I overextended myself with all my WIPS, having ten going at one point, and it became too much. Now, I have nine more chapters outlined for this story. I will be working on those over the next couple of weeks so updates on this one should be a lot quicker. Though, I do have an outtake of Endless Awakenings to write, too. **


	38. Chapter 38

**BPOV — TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO**

Moaning, I pried my eyes open, only to shut them again. The room was too bright. Reaching for the blanket, I tried to cover myself, but my hand hit the side of something cold and hard. Somehow managing to open my eyes again, I was surprised to find myself in the bathroom, lying in the bathtub to be exact. Pushing myself up to a seated position, I tried to remember how I got there, but I couldn't. In fact, I couldn't remember anything from the night before, nothing except leaving the market after facing off with Emmett, Rose, and Alice. I groaned and bent over the side of the tub, pressing my forehead against the cold porcelain. Figures they'd be the last memory I'd have.

Pushing myself up, I climbed out of the bathtub, moaning when my stomach rumbled and bile rose in my throat. My mouth tasted like ass, and I had to swallow the urge to puke. Stumbling over to the sink, I turned on the cold water and splashed my face before looking up in the mirror. The woman staring at me wasn't the Bella I remembered. Her eyes were dark and red, there were bags hanging under the lids, and her hair looked like someone had poured a gallon of grease on it. Though, while the train wreck in front of me wasn't the person I remembered myself to be, I couldn't find it in myself to care. The person I wanted to be was a happy mom and wife, not a bitter woman who had her child stolen away from her.

"Stop staring at me, bitch," I muttered, pushing away from the vanity without drying my face.

I threw open the door to the bathroom, stumbling into our bedroom. I was surprised to see Edward leaning against the wall, fast asleep. My heart ached for the man I'd fallen in love with. I wanted to hold him, to beg him to hold me, but I couldn't.

Not now.

He didn't want me anymore.

Kneeling next to him, I reached for his shoulder to wake him up, when I saw the white bandage on his arm — the bandage that had a bright, red spot of blood seeping through. Horror filled me when I realized that he'd gotten hurt at work.

"Edward!" I nearly screamed, grabbing his shoulder.

"What?" he groused, pushing me back as he scrambled to his feet. He looked around the room before his eyes landed on me, who had fallen onto my ass. "What are you doing down there?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I muttered, standing up. Once again a wave of nausea hit me and I grabbed the wall for support.

"You okay? Need to puke?" he asked, reaching for me, but I shook my head and grabbed his arm, just outside of his bandage. "It's nothing."

"Looks like something to me," I challenged. "What happened?"

Edward pulled his arm out from my hand and started removing his uniform. "Drug dealer cut my arm. It's not deep."

"Did you go to the hospital?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

Sighing, he unbuttoned the last button on his shirt and peeled it down his arms, leaving him in just a white wife-beater. "Because it's nothing. I told you I'm fine."

"At least let me clean it and change that bandage," I said, walking into the bathroom. "I'm sure I have some alcohol in here."

"I'm sure you do, too," he snarled. "If not, I'll just grab the bottle of vodka in the freezer, or the bottle of scotch you're hiding in the towel drawer."

Grabbing the rubbing alcohol and a fresh gauze pad from the medicine cabinet, I walked back into our bedroom. "I was actually talking about this type of alcohol, but by all means, feel free to bring me a glass."

"Just one?" he asked, his tone full of hatred.

I set the items in my hand down on the bed and placed my hands on my hips. "So clearly you're mad at me. Would you mind letting me know what I've done wrong this time?"

"You don't remember?" His eyes were wide and wild, something that scared me more than it should. Edward loved me, right?

"Remember what?" I asked. "Did Emmett call you? Because I'm sorry that I didn't want to go to dinner with them last night, but damn, I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"What? No, Emmett didn't call. You really don't remember what happened when I got home, do you? Nothing? You were so . . ." Edward trailed off and shook his head. "You know what? Just forget it."

"I don't want to forget it," I argued. "Tell me what happened last night."

"No," he snarled, sitting on the bed and ripping the bandage on his arm off, tossing it into the trash. Though he tried to shield it from me, I saw the cut on his arm. It was long, red, and angry looking.

"That looks nasty," I said, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him up. "Come on, I'll take you to the emergency room."

"No!" he yelled, pushing me away.

I stumbled back against the dresser. "Edward!"

"Leave me the fuck alone," he snapped, grabbing the rubbing alcohol and clean bandage from the bed and walking to the bathroom.

"Edward, wait!" I called out.

He stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at me. "Go pour yourself another drink, Bella. It's what you do best."

Slamming the bathroom door behind him, Edward left me standing in the middle of our bedroom. I slid down the front of the dresser and pulled my knees up to my chest. What happened last night?

**PRESENT DAY**

Edward stepped out of the doorway and looked back at me. Had I heard her correctly? Was the small, fragile boy in front of her really the son of the man who tortured and abused me? Placing my hands on my bed, I pushed myself up, or attempted to anyway. The deadweight that was my lower body made it difficult, but for the first time in two weeks, I didn't care about that. All I could see were the soulful brown eyes peering at me with so much pain and anger in them.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't a good time," Edward murmured, turning back to Kate.

"No, it's fine," I blurted out, causing him to look back at me.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded, unsure if I was really prepared to sit down with this little boy or not, but knew if I didn't now, I never would. "Please, come in."

Kate smiled, though it didn't quite reach her. "Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Bella," I murmured. "Call me Bella."

"Okay," she replied, nearly dragging Evan into my room. He looked up at me with so much grief in his eyes, I fought the urge to sob. "This is Evan."

"Nice to meet you, Evan," I whispered, knowing that if I spoke any louder, I'd completely lose it.

"You, too," he mumbled.

For several moments, the four of us didn't utter a sound. The tension in the room was thick and palpable. Kate tightened her arm around Evan and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the door to my room opened once more. I pressed my lips together, once again expecting Emmett, Rose, Jasper, or Alice to barge their way into my room, but again, I was surprised when Garrett stepped inside.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking from me to Kate and Evan. "I didn't realize that you had visitors."

"It's okay," I said, clearing my throat. "Is everything all right?"

Garrett nodded, shifting his eyes to Kate again. "I can come back later."

"Oh, okay," I replied.

Garrett smiled and tilted his head toward Kate and Evan before leaving my room. Edward closed the door behind him, shifting his eyes to mine.

"Is he your doctor?" Evan asked, drawing my attention to him.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Is he nice?" he inquired.

"Very nice," I told him. "He takes very good care of me."

Evan bobbed his head up and down. "Because he hurt you."

It wasn't a question, and I knew exactly who the 'he' Evan was referring to was, but I replied anyway. "Yes."

"Because of me," he muttered.

I gasped. "No, sweetheart!" Evan snapped his eyes up to mine; they were filled with tears and sorrow. "Nothing that . . . man . . . did to me was your fault. He was sick, and thought he could do whatever he wanted, regardless of who got hurt in the process."

Evan sniffled, but didn't say anything. I shifted my eyes up to Kate. "Can you help him sit up on the bed? Please?"

"If you're sure," she murmured, lifting the small boy up and placing him on the side of my bed. I reached out and grabbed his hand, tugging him closer. A small smile spread over his face when he scooted closer to me. "I'm sorry that he hurt you, Evan. I wish I could have protected you, too."

"Me, too," he whispered. "My momma tried to protect me, but then she went away."

Kate tensed, her eyes shifting to mine, confirming what I'd already suspected when Phil Dwyer had a gun pressed to against my head. Phil Dwyer had killed his wife, Evan's mother.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "I bet she loved you so much."

Evan nodded. "She told me every night that I was the best part of her." He tilted his head back, looking at Bella. "He killed her, didn't he?"

Kate gasped, while Edward's eyes fluttered to a close. My lips trembled as I replied, "I think so."

"He screamed at her all the time," he told us. "Called her names, told her she was stupid and lazy. She never cried, though. She just let him hurt her. Until that night."

"What night?" Kate asked, moving so that she was standing in front of Evan.

Though he had tears pouring down his face, he didn't make an effort to wipe them away. "He came home from work, and he was really mad because supper wasn't ready. Momma tried to tell him that it was almost done, but he . . . he hit her in the face and grabbed her hair. I was sitting inside the pantry with my coloring book because Momma said it was the safest place for me to be when Daddy was home. He kept hitting her and then . . ."

"You don't have to keep telling us," I said, squeezing his hand.

"I want to because you'll understand," he argued, pleading with me to let him tell his secrets.

"Okay, sweetheart," I whispered.

"He kept calling her a . . . a . . ." He trailed off as he frowned. "A whore. He said if she was going to be a whore, he would treat her like one. So he made her bend over the table and he . . . did things to her. Grown up things," he added. "It was the first time I'd never heard her cry when he hurt her. I tried to be quiet, but he heard me crying. He pulled his pants up and threw open the doors to the panty, but before he could grab me, Momma jumped on his back. He fell backward while cussing at her to get off him. He grabbed her arm and threw her through the glass door to the patio."

Unable to keep the tears from falling down my face, I brought my free hand up to my mouth. He'd seen it all, watched as his piece of shit father not only raped his mother, but killed her before he could touch him. My heart broke for the hell that he'd been through. Based on the tortured look on Edward's face, he was struggling with everything Evan was telling us.

"He locked me in the pantry all night. When he let me out, Momma was gone. He said she'd left us and we were moving. We came here the next day. I had to leave all my toys behind. I guess since Momma wasn't there for him to hit anymore, he decided to hurt me."

"Where'd you live before you moved here, Evan?" Edward asked, and I knew he was going to make sure the police followed up on Evan's story.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It was really hot. Momma always told me I had to drink a lot of water because the sun was stealing it away from me."

I couldn't help but notice how he smiled when he talked about his mother. "She was right," I said, matching his grin with one of my own. "I tell my kids all the time to make sure they drink a lot of water. It's so important."

Evan shifted his eyes to mine. "Mrs. Cullen, why did you fight for your kids?"

"What?" I gasped. "Why wouldn't I?"

Once again, he shrugged his shoulders. "Most people don't care. Mrs. Gribble did, and because of her, I get to live with Kate. But you didn't just send your kids to live with someone new. You fought him. Why?"

Closing my eyes for a moment, I tried to collect my thoughts. "I've watched my kids grow each and every day. When they came to me on the first day of school, they were scared and timid. Together, we learned so much. I protected them, Evan, because just like you didn't deserve for him to hurt you, neither did they."

"Mrs. Cullen, can I be one of your kids?" he asked, tears seeping down his face.

Nodding, I dislodged my own and pulled him into my arms for a hug. "Forever, Evan."

While holding Evan in my arms, feeling his tears seep into my shirt, I knew that every moment I spent in hell with Phil Dwyer was worth it because with every bruise that he gave me, it was one less he gave to Evan and the rest of my kids.

**Thank you so much for the reviews, and the warm welcome back. **


	39. Chapter 39

**EPOV — PRESENT**

"I can't do this," Bella whimpered, and I sighed as I looked over at her. "I can't."

"You can," I insisted, bringing my hand up to her cheek, brushing away the tears that were sprinkling down her cheeks. "Garrett says —"

"I know what Garrett says," she snarled, pulling her face away from my hand. "But I know what I can and cannot do. And I can't do this. Please, don't make me."

I closed my eyes. "I'm not making you do anything. But Garrett says that if you want to get all the feeling in your legs back, that we need to start physical therapy."

"We?" she muttered. "We aren't doing anything. I'm the one that has to do it. I'm the one who can't even fucking pee by myself."

I didn't know what to say to her. Bella was scared, and I understood that. After Evan and Kate left two days ago, Garrett came back to her room and told us that the latest rounds of tests showed that the swelling around Bella's spine was less than before, therefore she should be getting more feeling back. The problem was, other in her toes, Bella still didn't have any feeling in her feet. She was frustrated, borderline on anger, and I couldn't blame her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because you're just trying to help, and I keep being a bitch," she mumbled. "I feel helpless, Edward."

"I know you do, and you don't have any reason to be sorry, baby," I told her, bringing her hand up to my lips. "And if I could do more than just be here for you, I would, but I can't. You have to do this."

"I know," she whimpered, but before she could say anything else, the door to Bella's room opened and we looked over to find Garrett coming in with a wheelchair in front of him.

"You ready?" Garrett asked, shifting his eyes from me to Bella.

"Not really," she replied, honestly. "But let's go, anyway. I guess it's better than being stuck in this bed all the time, right?"

"Yep," he said, smiling. "If I didn't think therapy would help —"

"You wouldn't suggest it. Yeah I know," she muttered, interrupting him. "Why do you care so much?"

"Because it's my job," he said, but when he shifted his attention away from ours, I knew there was more to his story than he was telling us.

"You treat all your patients like this?" she asked. "Or just the crippled ones?"

Garrett snapped his head up, glaring at her. "You are not crippled, Bella. You're a fighter, so fucking fight all ready."

"Whoa," I snarled, standing up. "Who the hell do you think you are to talk to her like that?"

"Edward, it's fine," Bella insisted, but I shook my head.

"No, it's not," I told her. "You've been through enough shit without having him come in here and bad mouth you."

"It doesn't matter," she groused. "He doesn't understand, so it's whatever."

"I don't understand?" Garrett scoffed, drawing our attention to him. "I understand more than you think, Bella."

"No, you don't," she gritted.

"My father," he whispered, closing his eyes. "My father was a lot like the man who put you in here. He . . . he . . ." Garrett blew out a heavy breath and opened his eyes, looking right at Bella. "I wasn't much older than your students when my mother died. Ovarian Cancer. She held on for as long as she could, but in the end, she just couldn't stay with me. My father couldn't handle his grief and turned to alcohol to cope.

"I got in his way, and he made sure I knew I was a burden. Nobody fought for me, Bella, like you did for your kids. I suffered for years, hiding the bruises, praying that he'd pass out before he started swinging. By the time I was fifteen, I was working three jobs, trying to find any reason not to go home, trying to find a way out of Hell. The night before my sixteenth birthday, he . . . he, um, he . . ." Garrett brought his hand up, dragging it over his face, and through his hair. "I'm sorry; this is difficult to talk about. I don't really tell a lot of people about myself."

I wasn't sure what to say. Garrett had gone beyond the call of duty for Bella ever sense she'd been brought in, but I never understood why.

Garrett shook his head. "My father got really drunk that night, and came barging into my room. He looked insane; his eyes were cold and bitter. He grabbed me by the hair and threw me onto the floor. He started kicking me, calling me a bastard and telling me how I'd taken everything he loved away. I don't know how many times he kicked me before he grabbed me by the hair again and dragged me onto my bed. He, um, he started undoing his belt and . . ."

Once again, he let his words die in the air. "I thought he was going to kill me, finally end my suffering, but he didn't. For the next two years, he did things to me that nobody should have to live through, Bella. Unspeakable things. Still nobody saw, nobody helped." Garrett sat on the end of Bella's bed. "I knew I had to make plans, I had to find a way to escape his wrath. So, behind his back, I started applying to colleges. Most of them were on this side of the country. I needed to get as far away from Georgia as I could, away from him. On my eighteenth birthday, I managed to escape after a particularly brutal night. I left everything behind me and moved here to San Francisco. I'd already been accepted to Berkeley, so it was just a matter of finding a job, or two, to support me and a place to stay while I waited for the semester to start. For the first time in my life, I was almost happy."

"Almost?" Bella asked.

Garrett nodded. "I knew my father wasn't going to just sit back and let me go. He'd made it more than clear that I was his . . . whatever . . . until he decided it was time for me to die."

"He found you, didn't he?" I asked.

Again, he nodded. "Right before the fall semester started. I'd just moved into the dorms, but my roommate, Seth, hadn't shown up yet. When someone knocked, I didn't think twice about it. I assumed that it was Seth, and I opened the door. He was standing there, hate and anger just pouring off of him. I could smell the liquor on his breath. It was nauseating. Before I could say anything, he pushed me into my room and closed the door. He punched me in the face, over and over and over. I don't remember everything that happened after that. A few flashes of him dragging me to my bed, the feel of his hands on me, but that's about it. I don't know how long he was there. Hours, days — I just don't know.

"I just know that he was gone when Seth arrived. There was screaming and someone yelling to call an ambulance. I have flashes of the paramedics loading me onto the stretcher and the sound of the lights as they rushed me to the hospital, but there isn't much left there. I was in and out of consciousness for days. The police were always there, questioning me every time I opened my eyes, but I could barely speak due to a broken jaw. They wanted to know who had done that to me, why they had done it to me, but I couldn't admit to them, or to myself. It was hard enough knowing that my father would . . . hurt me, much less tell anyone what he had done to me for year."

Garrett shook his head, a dark chuckle tumbling out of his mouth. "Seth and his parents stayed with me while I was in the hospital. A year later I asked Seth why. You know, why they stayed with me. He gave me this confused look like he didn't understand what I was asking before telling me that I needed a family and in that moment they were mine," Garrett said thickly. He brought his hand up, trying to be discreet as he wiped a tear off his cheek. "They were my family, Bella. My brother, my parents."

"Did you ever see your father again?" Bella cried, and when I looked over at her, I saw the tears sliding down her face freely.

Garrett shook his head. "Um, after he left me to die in my dorm room, he ran a stop sign and crashed into a family of four. He and the two children in the other car died, while the parents walked away with minor injuries. Well, as minor as you can get when you've lost everything. I didn't find out about the accident for nearly a month, and by then, the state of California had buried him. It took a long time for my injuries to heal, but I managed to go back to school pass my classes. Seth's parents insisted that they help pay for my living expenses since I couldn't work for several months. I hated accepting their help, but I couldn't do it by myself. Anyway, Seth and I lived together for until we graduated from Berkeley, then he moved in with his boyfriend, Jacob, while I went on to medical school. Still to this day, he's my best friend, the only person who really knows me. Well, him and Jacob. You don't get one without the other."

"And that's why you're here?" she asked, dragging a hand over her face and through her hair in an effort to wipe away her tears.

"Yes, and no," he replied with a smile. Garrett angled his body toward her. "I'm here because it's my job. The hospital pays me to treat your injuries and do everything humanly possible to ensure your health and wellbeing. But I'm also here because when I needed someone to fight for me, Bella, they weren't. Not until Seth and his parents found my beaten and bloody body. You sacrificed so much for your students, for that little boy that came by the other day. I don't know. I guess, I just wish I'd had a teacher who protected me from my father. I admire you, Bella."

She gasped. "Admire me?"

Garrett nodded. "You could have let him hurt your kids. Hell, you could have let him do a lot of things to you, but you didn't. You protected your kids, and you fought for your life. Now, I am asking you to fight some more. Don't let that bastard win by letting him take your legs from you. You're stronger than him."

"And if I'm not?" Bella cried.

"You are, but even if you never walk again, you'll know it wasn't because of a lack of trying." Garrett stood up and grabbed the wheelchair. "Now, are you ready?"

Bella closed her eyes and nodded. "As ready as I can be."

Garrett shifted his eyes over to me, giving me a simple nod. I stood up and slipped my arms under Bella's knees and around her back, gently lifting her out of her hospital bed. I carried her around and placed her in the wheelchair, placing a kiss on her lips. I could tell she was scared, terrified of starting therapy, but if anyone could get her legs back, it would be Bella.

**TWO YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS AGO**

My head was throbbing. I was up to my elbows in reports and all I wanted to do was throw them in the trash and beat the shit out of something, or someone. Bringing my hand toward my forehead, my eyes flittered down to the six inch scar on my forearm. Two months had passed and the sight of it still made me sick. It was just another reminder how much life sucked right now.

"I'm heading out early," Jasper said, pushing away from his desk and standing up. "It's mine and Ali's anniversary so . . ."

I nodded as he trailed off, trying very hard not to throw it in my face that he and my sister were happily married while Bella and I barely spoke to each other anymore.

When I didn't say anything, Jasper sighed and left. Yeah, I was being an asshole, but I was tired. Beyond tired. Bella had been up all night, drinking herself into a stupor. Again. And I was up all night with her, trying to stop herself from flinging herself into traffic. Again. Eventually, she passed out on the sofa. Since I knew she was not going to rush out and kill herself, I left her there and went to bed, only to have to get up three hours later and come in to work. Bella barely acknowledged me as I walked by and I honestly couldn't blame her. I was a selfish bastard, who wanted more than I deserved.

The sound of my phone ringing pulled me away from my inner demons, and I slammed my hand down on the receiver, yanking it up and nearly pounding it into my head. "This is Cullen."

"Is this Edward Cullen?" a soft-spoken woman asked.

I rolled my eyes, stifling the urge to call her an idiot. "Yep. Who's this?"

"This is Emily Uley from First National Bank. We processing the mortgage payment but I need you or your wife to come in and sign off on the payment. I tried to call Mrs. Cullen, but she didn't appear to be home."

I barely stopped myself from snorting. Bella was home, she just refused to talk to anyone—including me. "Wait! What mortgage payment?"

"The one to Rayford Mortgage Company. The money was deposited in your account five days ago, but in order for us to finish processing the payment, I need your signature."

"Where'd the money come from?"

"First Bank and Trust, based in Chicago, Illinois," she replied. "Um, the name on the account is Carlisle and Esme Cullen"

My grip on the phone and I felt my jaw clench tight. "Send it back."

"I'm sorry, sir, but the money is for a pending purchase. I've been instructed to send the payment straight through, but I need your signature first."

"What purchase?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said. "Based on the amount, I would assume it's for a house."

"How much was it for?" I asked.

"Seven hundred and fifty-three thousand, six hundred, and twenty-eight dollars, and ninety-eight cents."

My mouth flopped open. "Jesus fucking Christ," I muttered. "Those motherfuckers."

"I'm sorry?" she said.

"Do you have an address on the property?" I asked, grabbing a scrap piece of paper.

"No, sir, I don't. When can you or your wife come down and authorize the payment?"

"I'll call you back." And without giving her a chance to argue with me, I hung up.

Bringing my hand to my mouth, I fought the urge to scream, to curse at someone, or to throw up. My . . . those bastards thought they could buy me and Bella. Swallowing back the bile that rose in my throat, I turned to my computer and pulled up the mortgage company's website. It took some effort, and not all of it was legal, but I managed to find the address that went with the seven-hundred thousand dollar house Carlisle and Esme Cullen had bought for me and Bella, confirming that they'd paid for the house, but put it in our name.

I scribbled down the address before grabbing my keys and gun and rushing out of the station without letting anyone know. It took me nearly half an hour to drive to the "house" if that's what you could call it. The large, red-brick structure resembled Carlisle and Esme's house in Chicago. Just one more reason for me to hate the place. Why would they think we'd want to live somewhere that would constantly remind us of the child they stole away from us?

Climbing out of the car, I walked around to the trunk and popped it open, grabbing the tire iron from inside. I slammed it shut and walked up the front walk veering to the right until I was standing in front of one of the large bay windows. Tightening my hands around the iron, I reared back and brought my arm forward, breaking through the glass.

The sound of shattered glass echoed through the air, but I didn't care. I took a step to the right and broke another window. For the next several minutes, I walked around the house, breaking every window I could find. Once I'd gotten them, I walked back around to the front of the house, aware that several of the neighbors were standing out on their front porches, watching as I tore apart the house.

Walking up to the front door, I turned the tire-iron around on my hand and began slamming it against the thick wood, watching as the tip bit into the wood and tore large chunks out.

"Put your hands up," a burly voice came from behind me.

Looking over my shoulder, I almost laughed when I saw two uniformed police officers standing behind me with their guns drawn and pointed right at me. Their hands were shaking and I could see the fear radiating off of them.

"Is there a problem, officer?" I asked, facing them, but keeping the tire iron in my hand.

"Drop the crowbar and put your hands up," he ordered, while his partner stood next to him looking like he was about to piss himself.

"This iron?" I asked, turning back to the door and hitting again.

"Sir, I am not going to ask you again," he informed me.

"Funny, because I think you just did," I told him. "I'm a cop. I'm here on official police business. My badge number is 2244."

"Call him in," he told his partner. While the other man reached for his radio, I turned back to the door, preparing to strike again. "Sir, put the bar on the ground and walk over to me."

I sighed and looked back at him. "That's not going to happen."

"Cap says we're to cuff him and wait for backup," the other man said.

His partner looked terrified as he nodded and took a step toward me. For a moment, I considered hitting him, taking out all my frustrations out on him, but in the end, I decided against it. They were just doing their jobs after all. So instead, I tossed the tire iron into the grass in front of him, which was the wrong move to make seeing as his partner jerked his arm up and pulled the trigger on his gun. The sound of the gun going off had everyone staring at us on their porches ducking for cover.

"Don't shoot, you dumbass," I snarled, shaking my head. "You're fucking gonna kill someone. How long have you been out of the academy? A day?"

"Two — two weeks," he stammered, and this time I did roll my eyes. He was a baby.

"Well, here's a tip, asshole," I snarled. "Keep the safety on before you end up shooting someone, you stupid motherfucker."

"Sorry," he mumbled, but I watched as he put the safety on.

His partner glared at him before he walked over to me and grabbed my arm, trying to force me to turn around for him. I humored him and placed my hands on the front door, waiting while he searched me — taking my service weapon and tucking it into the back of his pants. For a moment, I thought about warning him that he was going to shoot himself in the ass, but decided not to. He was frisking me, after all.

Pulling my left arm behind me first and then the right, the officer placed his handcuffs around my wrists and pushed me down so that I was sitting on the porch. While we waited for backup, the neighbors from the surrounding houses gave the officers their statements. I heard words like "madman" and "crazy," both of which had me laughing on the inside. They had no idea about the state of my mind.

Almost twenty minutes later, I groaned when I saw Jasper pull up behind the squad car. I should have known they'd send him. As he climbed out, he shook his head and walked over to me, swatting down in front of me.

"Dude, why?" he asked.

I merely shrugged my shoulders.

Gripping the back of his neck, he sighed and stood up. "Okay, you leave me no other choice."

Before I could ask what he meant, Jasper grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet.

"Edward, you're under arrest."

As he proceeded to read me my rights, all I could think about how I couldn't wait until Carlisle and Esme heard what I did to their precious gift.

**So, Edward has some anger issues. Can you blame him? Thank you for all the reviews. I had hoped to get this chapter out a lot sooner, but my outtake for Endless Awakenings, which might end up as the first chapter of a new fic, took a bit longer to write than I intended. Anyway, roughly seven more chapters to go!**


	40. Chapter 40

**BPOV — TWO YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS AGO**

Closing my eyes, I laid back in the bathtub, letting the hot, soapy water wash up over my abdomen and chest. The water felt amazing against my skin, washing away the dirt and grime from the last few days. Reaching for my wine glass, I brought it to my lips and took a small sip, savoring the taste. A little wine would do wonders for the throbbing inside my head. Lifting my leg out of the water, I pressed my toe against the spout, watching as a bead of water traveled down my foot and dripped into the tub, creating a delicate ripple.

The sound of the phone ringing broke through my serene peacefulness. I glared at the device sitting on top of the vanity until it stopped ringing. I didn't have to look at the caller ID to know that it was Rose or Emmett, maybe Alice or Jasper. They called all the time, begging me and Edward to go out with them. But we never did. We never did anything anymore. Not together, anyway.

The phone rang again and I sighed as I placed my glass of wine on the floor. Sliding down into the tub, I allowed the water to wash up over me and ignored the muffled ring. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't care about anything, and I certainly wasn't in the mood to play nice with anyone, either. Nobody understood how lost I felt, how empty I was inside. My father was gone, Charlotte was gone, and even though he wasn't dead, Edward was gone. He was all I had left, but he didn't want me anymore, either. Not that I blamed him, not really. I hadn't been able to keep Charlotte safe. I didn't deserve to be her mother.

After a few more rings, the phone quieted and I pushed myself out from under the water, taking a deep breath. I picked up my wine glass and had just reached for the bottle of wine, in order to refill my glass, when the sound of the apartment door getting busted down echoed through the apartment.

Scrambling out of the tub, I had barely managed to wrap my towel around my body before the door to the bathroom was thrown open and I found myself face to face with Emmett.

"What the fuck?" I screeched. "Get out of here!"

"Are you kidding me?" he bellowed. "Jasper's been trying to get a hold of you, Bella."

"So?" I groused, pushing past him and walking into my bedroom, grabbing my robe and slipping it on over the towel. "That doesn't give you the right to come busting into _my _apartment, Emmett. I was in the fucking tub. Maybe that's what you wanted, though. Were you trying to get a peek at me naked? You're such a perverted asshole," I scoffed, folding my arms in front of me.

"Are — are you drunk?" he asked, walking into the bedroom with the nearly-empty bottle of wine in his hands.

"No," I jeered and reached for it, but he held it away from me. "Give it to me."

"You've had enough," he snapped. "Get dressed. We've gotta go."

"I'm not going anywhere with _you_," I sneered.

Emmett closed his eyes for a moment and blew out a harsh breath. "Edward was arrested. You need to come with me and make bail."

"What?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow at him. "What'd he do?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Jasper tried to call you twice, got concerned when you didn't pick up, and asked me to come check on you. Now, get your ass dressed. I'll wait for you in the living room."

Without giving me a chance to respond, Emmett walked out of the room, making a point of slamming the door closed behind him. Sighing, I stripped off my robe and started getting dressed. Whatever Edward had done to get arrested, it had better have been worth it.

—WLB—

Fifteen minutes later, Emmett pulled his jeep up in front of the police station. He'd tried to talk to me several times, first by making idle chitchat and then asking me how I was feeling. One glare in his direction told him everything he needed to know. I was being dragged down to the police station by my brother-in-law to bail my husband out of jail, when all I wanted was to curl up with a bottle of wine and losing myself for a while.

I reached for the door handle, but froze when Emmett's hand came down on my shoulder.

"Bella," he started, "I know you've been through hell, but I want you to know that I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."

I looked over my shoulder at my brother-in-law. "Are you going to save me, Emmett? Make the pain go away?"

"I want to try," he admitted, letting his hand fall off my shoulder. "We all do."

Shaking my head, I opened the car door and climbed out, slamming it shut. Emmett was right behind me, but before he could offer me anymore words of wisdom, I turned toward him and said, "You can't help me, Emmett. None of you can because I'm already dead inside."

Leaving him standing there with his mouth open and his eyes wide and full of pity, I turned and walked into the police station, unsurprised when the desk clerk waved me back. The squad room was awkwardly quiet as I walked in, and I could feel everyone staring at me. Jasper pushed away from his desk and took two steps toward me, but I waved him off and walked over to the small holding cell where Edward was waiting for me. He had his legs stretched out in front of him and a smirk playing on his lips.

"What'd you do?" I snarled.

"Destroyed private property," he said and when I lifted an eyebrow, he added, "It was fun."

Sighing, I looked over at Jasper. "Well? What happened?"

"I think I should let him tell you," he told me and Edward snorted, earning a hard glare. "Dude, you're in enough trouble."

"I'm not in any trouble," Edward hissed, standing up and grabbing the bars in front of him. "They'll learn, one way or another, that we don't want anything to do with them."

Jasper shook his head and walked back to his desk, sitting down. I looked at Edward. "What the fuck is going on here?"

"Mrs. Cullen." I looked over and saw Edward's Captain standing in the doorway of his office. "Why don't you come into my office?"

"Because I don't want to," I said, feeling everyone watching me. "How much is his bail?"

The Captain inhaled a sharp breath before pushing away from the doorframe and walking over to us, pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking the cell. "Can't arrest him for destroying his house."

"That is _not_ my house," Edward groused, sitting back on the bench. "And I'll be more than happy to face my charges, Cap."

"Cullen, get your ass out of the cage and into my office," the Captain barked.

Startled, I took a step away from him, shifting my eyes to Edward, who appeared to have come to his senses. He stood up and walked out of the cell, passed me without a word, and walked into his boss's office. The Captain gestured for me to follow. Unsure what the hell was going on, I did and sat down in the seat next to Edward, who had his arms folded in front of his chest.

The Captain sat down behind his desk, clapped his hands together, and shifted his attention from me to Edward and back. "I'm honestly not sure what I should say right now." He looked at Edward. "You've never been this disrespectful, Cullen. I know that you've been through a lot, but . . ." When Edward snorted, he slammed his hands on the desk, causing me to jump. "Damn, Cullen, do you want me to suspend you?"

"I don't care," he replied.

Captain Davis looked over at me. "Talk some sense into him."

"I don't even know what is going on here," I told him, shifting my eyes to my husband. "Edward?"

Releasing a heavy breath, Edward leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I got a call from the bank today. They said one of us needed to go in and sign a paper authorizing a mortgage payment."

"We don't have a mortgage," I said.

Edward shook his head and looked over at me. "My . . . Carlisle and Esme . . . they bought us a house, behind my back, and transferred the money into our account."

"What?" I screeched, standing up so fast my chair fell backward. "Send it back."

"I tried, but the bank said the money was already pending the purchase of a house."

"The one you destroyed," the Captain added, and Edward nodded.

I closed my eyes, struggling to understand these people. Carlisle and Esme would stop at nothing to ruin our lives. First they called me every name under the sun for years, but then they stole my daughter from me, making it impossible for us to have another child. Not that I would want another baby.

I wanted Charlotte.

Now, they wanted to buy our forgiveness. _No_, I thought, _they wanted to buy Edward's forgiveness, his love, his acceptance back into his life_. They had never wanted me, and I somehow doubted that changed.

"No," I gritted. "No. I won't live there. They can go to hell."

Once again, Edward just nodded.

"Send the money back to them. Call the mortgage company and tell them we don't want the house. Do something other than sit on your ass," I hissed, causing him to look up at me. "Stop being a little bitch and be man already."

"Bella," Edward said, standing up. He reached for me, but I stepped back before he could touch me.

"Don't fucking touch me, you fucking coward!" I yelled, storming out of the office. Edward chased after me, ignoring warnings from his Captain not to do something stupid. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper sitting at his desk, felt his eyes watching me as I fled the station with what little dignity I had left.

"Bella, stop," Edward shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a stop.

I brought my hand up, slapping him across the face. "This is all your fault. All your fault! How could you let them do this to us?" I screamed, trying to hit him again. Edward, however, grabbed my wrists, pulling me against his chest and holding me as I fought against him. "Let me go."

"I'm sorry," he croaked.

Summoning all the strength I had, I tore my wrists out of his grip and pushed him away. "You're always sorry, but you never make it better."

A dark look filled Edward's eyes as he stepped up to me until he was barely an inch away from me. "Why don't you go get a drink, Bella," he snarled. "That'll help."

Before I could say anything else, Edward turned and walked away from me.

**PRESENT DAY**

Edward slipped his arms under my legs and back and lifted me off the padded table, setting me back in my wheelchair. I gave him a small smile, trying hard not to let the tears of frustrations fall down my face. I knew better, but I'd expected something to happen with therapy, even if it was my first session. I wanted my legs back. I wanted to feel something other than angry.

"You did good, Bella," the smooth, calming voice of my therapist said. Shifting my eyes over to the tall, russet-skinned man leaning against the table I'd just been laying on, I shook my head. "No, you did," Seth Clearwater insisted.

To say I'd been shocked when Garrett introduced Seth as my physical therapist would be an understatement. He simply explained that he knew I would be scared and nervous, and only trusted my care in the hands of someone he trusted with everything. One look between the two men was all it took for me to understand that they weren't just best friends — they were brothers. A pang of guilt hit me as I realized that Edward needed Emmett and Jasper in the same fashion that Garrett needed Seth. They were his brothers, the only two people who were there for him after Charlotte died.

"Will I get my legs back?" I asked.

Seth pressed his lips together for a moment before saying, "I don't know. I wish I had an answer for you, Bella, but like Garrett, I just don't know. You're legs are strong, and you've got feeling in your toes. It's just a matter of time and perseverance."

"Yeah," I muttered, feeling even more frustrated.

"Hey, we're in this together, okay?" he asked, squatting down in front of my chair and reaching for my hand, only to pull back when I flinched away. "I'm not giving up on you, Bella."

"Why not? You don't know me," I said, my words sounding more accusatory than I meant for them to.

Seth smiled. "Because Garrett believes in you. Because he sees something worth fighting for in you, Bella. I learned a long time ago to listen when he's adamant about something, or someone. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be with my boyfriend."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling Edward slid his hands onto my shoulders.

Once again Seth's smile grew, and I saw the gentle man who'd been patient while bending my legs for me. "I wasn't ready to admit to myself that I was gay when I met Garrett. I knew I was attracted to men, but it's a hard realization to make about oneself, you know? One night, about a year and a half after my parents and I found him in our dorm room, I came home drunk. I'd been at this frat party and things got carried away. I stumbled into our room, and found Garrett sitting at his desk studying. I don't remember a lot of what happened, just that I grabbed him by the arm and kissed him. He tried to push me away, but I held him against me, wanting him so much. I remember pushing him against the wall and trapping him there while I kissed him, while I — I touched him. It wasn't until I felt his tears fall onto my face that I realized he was crying. I released him, moving as far away from him as I could. Garrett crumbled to the floor, just unable to do anything but cry. I ran out of our room, down to the bathroom, and threw up. I was disgusted with myself, with what I had done to him. I knew better, but the damn alcohol just . . ."

Seth shook his head. "That's not an excuse, but I've never really been a drinker, and I wasn't prepared for how it would hit me. I don't know how long I stayed in the bathroom before I scrambled to my feet and made my way back to our room. I expected Garrett to be gone, but he wasn't. He was still on the floor, his arms wrapped around himself, and a dull, agonizing look on his face. He turned to me when I came in, but before I could apologize, he — he stood up and . . ." He blew out a heavy breath as he fell back and sat down on the floor with his knees bent in front of him. "He started undoing his pants. Then he — he bent over the bed, offering himself to me. I turned around and walked out of our room again, leaving him there. I couldn't be there, not like that. I spent all night, just walking around campus, trying to understand what I had done, but I couldn't. I had sexually assaulted my best friend, Bella."

Seth stood up and began pacing in front of me. "I waited to go back to my room until after Garrett's first class started, thinking that he'd be gone and I could pack my shit and leave. But when I got there, I found him still leaning over the bed with his pants down by his ankles. He looked over at me and said, 'Just do it already.' I couldn't get the words to leave my mouth, but I shook my head. He screamed, 'fucking take what you want and let me move on!' I told him no. And he straightened up, shuffled across the room, grabbing the front of my shirt and tried to kiss me again. I pushed him away, trying desperately to ignore the fact that he standing in front of me half naked. He stumbled backward and began to cry again. He said, 'Why? Why not take what you think is yours?' Bile rose in my throat as I said, 'You're not mine. You're not anyone's.' Something changed in him, I don't know what, but he got his look in his face and pulled his pants up. He pushed me out of the way and left.

"I was about halfway through packing my shit up when he came back. For the longest time, we just stood there, looking at each other, neither of us sure what to say. I was about to apologize when he said, 'nobody owns me.' I nodded, unsure of what to say. Garrett looked me straight in the eye and told me that if I ever touched him like that again, he'd kill me."

"Did you believe him?" Edward asked, causing Seth to look over at him.

"Yes. And I couldn't blame him. I violated him, violated the trust he'd put in me. But he wouldn't let me move out. He said only cowards run, that I needed to think about the person I was, the person I really was. For a long time, things between me and Garrett were tense. I knew he didn't fully trust me anymore, and I couldn't blame him. Fuck, I didn't trust myself anymore. My parents saw the change in me, in our friendship, but they never asked what had happened. They already thought of Garrett as one of their own and would have kicked my ass if they knew what I had done."

"So what changed?" I asked. "You said he was the reason you have your boyfriend. What changed?"

"About six months later, I'd been driving home from a job interview when my car broke down on the interstate. Traffic was a bitch, and my cell phone was dead, which just added to my bad day. The interview hadn't gone very well, and all I wanted was to go home and go to bed. It took me half an hour to find a place with a public phone. I tried to call Garrett, but he had class. So I called for a tow truck and headed back to my car. It was already getting dark. I was about half a mile from my car when three guys jumped me. They hit me, kicked me, called me names. Just as one of the guys was trying to force himself in my mouth, someone hit him. The guys ran, because as Garrett had told me only cowards run. With blood and grime covering me, I looked up and found Jacob standing in front of me. He knelt down and offered me his hand, saying that he would take care of me. I don't know why I believed him, trusted him almost immediately, but I did. I let him help me up, wincing from the pain in my chest from where they'd kicked me. Jacob led me over to his tow truck," Seth smiled, giving me a look, "and helped me inside, being very gentle. He drove me to the hospital. While I was getting some X-rays, he'd called Garrett. Jacob was sitting next to my bed, with my hand in his when Garrett showed up. Garrett was scared to be there, I could see it in his eyes. He looked from me to Jacob and back. I told him what had happened, how Jacob had saved me. But Garrett never said anything, not to me or to Jacob. He just pulled a chair up next to my bed and waited with us.

"After a couple of hours, the doctors released me with two cracked ribs and a mild concussion. Jacob walked us out to Garrett's car and made sure I was in before he looked at Garrett and told him to take care of me, that he would make sure that my car was picked up. Garrett just kind of nodded and climbed in. He drove us back to the dorms in silence. In fact, he didn't say anything to me until we were in our room and I'd climbed into my bed. Then he sat on the edge of his bed and looked at me. He cried as he said, 'I thought I was going to lose you.' I didn't understand what he meant so I just stared at him. Then he began to cry harder as he said, 'Momma left me, my father hated me. You're the only person who didn't leave after hurting me, Seth. I thought I was going to lose you.' I still wasn't sure what to say. I mean, I'd hurt him, yet he still wanted me as a friend. He said, 'I forgive you.' Before I could say anything else, he turned off the light and got into bed, making it clear he was done.

"I laid there all night thinking about what Garrett had said, about what had happened to me, what could have happened to me. For the time, I had a better idea of what Garrett had endured his entire life, Bella. I was lucky that Jacob was able to stop those men. Nobody did that for Garrett. He didn't have anyone protecting him, and I hated myself for adding to his pain. I hated that he forgave me for something that I couldn't forgive myself for.

"Garrett skipped his classes the next morning, but he wouldn't talk to me, just kept saying that he forgave me. I wanted to scream at him to stop, to hate me, but I couldn't because I needed Garrett. I needed his friendship; I needed him to be brother. Late in the afternoon, there was a knock on our door and he went over and opened it. He looked over his shoulder at me as he stepped back. Jacob was standing there. He was . . . so cute. I hadn't really noticed it the night before. I mean, I had, but not like this. He looked past Garrett at me and smiled, a real smile, not one full of pity. Garrett let him in and said that he'd give us some time alone, and before I could stop him, he left.

"Jacob nervously stepped into my room and shut the door behind him. He asked how I was feeling, and I told him like shit, because I was hurting. Jacob nodded and moved over to my bed, sitting on the side. He handed me my car keys, saying that the alternator had gone out but that he had fixed it for me. Before I could ask him how much I owed him, he looked over at me, shook his head and said, 'what are you doing to me?' I didn't understand what he meant. He said he hadn't been able to stop thinking about me, how worried he'd been. He brought his hand up to my face and stroked my cheek. Bella, for the first time, I felt comfortable with myself. He leaned into me and kissed me." Seth smiled. "He stood up and dropped a piece of paper on my bed and left without another word. It his number and a message that said to call him if I was interested.

"I wasn't sure I should call him, because I was so confused about everything. Garrett came back not long after Jacob left. I didn't even get a chance to tell him what happened before he said, 'He's not like _him_.' The way he emphasized him, I knew he was talking about his father. I shook my head and said, 'No, he isn't.' Garrett sat there for another couple of minutes before he said, 'It's okay to want him, Seth. It's okay to be happy.' I wasn't sure what to say so I just said, 'Okay.' After that, everything was different. Garrett was more relaxed around me, I could tell that he was starting to trust me again. I called Jacob and we went out a few times, but I was still so confused. I'd finally admitted to myself that I was gay, but could I take the chance on Jacob?

"I tried to focus on my school work, focus on just making it through one day at a time. Garrett and I had found an apartment to share, and were packing up our stuff to move. Garrett had one last final so when someone knocked on the door to our dorm room, I assumed that he'd locked himself out. But when I opened the door, I found Jacob standing there, one hand on either side of the door frame. He lifted his eyes up to mine and I saw so much in them. He said he needed to know how I felt about him. I wanted to scream at him that I wanted him, that I needed him, but I was scared. I'd never felt something so intense, and I was afraid. He pushed off the doorframe and brought his hands up to my face, leaning in until his lips were almost on mine. We hadn't kissed since the afternoon he'd come to see me, though I have to admit that I had wanted him to kiss me so many times. He said, 'I love you, Seth. But I can't do this anymore if you don't feel the same. It hurts too damn much.' My heart was racing and I closed the distance between our lips. Jacob growled, which is a huge turn on, by the way. When he pulled back, I said, 'I love you, too.' And I did. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was in love with Jacob.

"Garrett showed up about half an hour later. Even though I could tell that he was nervous around Jacob, he didn't make a big deal about it. Ever since then, Jacob and I have been inseparable. He never questioned my friendship with Garrett, never got jealous over the bond we shared. They became close friends, though it took Garrett a long time to open up to Jacob. He never judged him, or me, for our actions. When I told him what I'd done to Garrett, I expected Jacob to leave me, but he didn't. He said he didn't understand why I had done it, but it wasn't his business, that Garrett had forgiven me and that was enough for him. But then he said, if I ever hurt Garrett like that again, that we'd be done. He wouldn't sit by and watch my best friend, my brother, get abused by someone he loved. The fact that Jacob was willing to fight for Garrett made me love him so much more."

Seth stopped his pacing and looked down at me. "Bella, I still haven't forgiven myself for what I did to Garrett. I never will. I can't justify it; I can't make it right, not matter how much I want to. I don't expect you to understand, either. But Garrett sees something in you. Just as you fought for your kids in that classroom, he's fighting for you right now. And so am I. I won't give up on you."

Tears flooded my eyes as I nodded, unable to say anything. Seth was right. I would never understand why he did what he did, or how Garrett was able to forgive his best friend for attacking him. It wasn't my place to understand. I could hear the sorrow and grief in his voice as he spoke, and I knew that he hated himself for what he had done.

"I'll see you on Wednesday, all right? Be ready to work," Seth told me.

"Okay," I whimpered.

Edward grabbed the back of my chair and pushed me out of the room, down the hall, and to the elevator. Neither of us spoke as we rode the elevator up to my floor, or as he pushed me out. I saw Garrett standing in front of the nurses' desk, and he looked over at us, a look of hope springing up on his face.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"I don't know," I murmured.

"It'll take time," he replied, nodding his head.

"Garrett, Seth told us everything," I said, causing him to tense up.

"I figured he would. He can't get past it," he mumbled.

"Should he?" Edward asked. "After what he did, should he get past it?"

Garrett seemed to be choosing his words very carefully as he looked around, making sure nobody would hear our conversation. "I won't tell you that it was easy forgiving him, not with knowing that he knew fully of what I'd been through, but he could have taken me when I offered myself to him. He made the decision to leave rather than hurt me more. It took a long time for me to trust him again. Jacob gave him a reason to fight, Seth gave me a reason to fight, and, Bella, you gave your students a reason to fight. And I hope that I've given you a reason to fight."

"I'm starting to," I whispered.

"Good." Garrett smiled. "I have rounds, but I'll check on you later, okay?"

I nodded before Edward pushed my chair into my room, sliding the glass door closed. Though I was out of the woods, Garrett had insisted on keeping me in the ICU, stating that he wanted to keep an eye on me. I was thankful, though I didn't understand why until now.

Edward hooked his arms under my legs and around my back, lifting me out of the chair and laying me on the bed. Sitting on the edge, he draped his arm across my lifeless legs, shifting his eyes up to mine.

"Are you okay?"

"No," I murmured, shaking my head. "I'm angry and frustrated."

"Me, too," he admitted.

"I don't want to be angry anymore," I cried. "I want to be happy again. I want you to hold me and love me. I want . . ."

"What?" he asked, nearly pleading with me to be honest with him.

So taking a deep breath, I heard myself telling him exactly what I wanted. "I want us to adopt Evan."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Another heavy chapter. I really hadn't intended on Seth being so chatty, but he demanded that his story be told, lol. On to the next chapter, peeps!**


	41. Chapter 41

**EPOV — PRESENT DAY**

"What?" I asked, moving so that I was sitting on the side of Bella's bed.

"I want to adopt Evan," she said again, but before she could utter another sound, the door to her room opened and she snapped her eyes over and began yelling, "Get out! Get the fuck out!"

"Bella." At the sound of Rose's voice, I looked over my shoulder, unsurprised to see her, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice standing there. They'd been relentless in their pursuit of my wife. Though I knew they meant well, they were starting to piss me off.

"Get out," I snarled, standing up. "She doesn't want to see you. How many times am I going to have to make that clear?"

"Look, just wait," Emmett said, putting a hand up to keep us from interrupting. "You've been through hell, but we want to be here for you. For both of you. We know —"

"You don't know shit," Bella snarled, ripping the blankets off of her legs. "Look at them! I can't feel them, I can't move. I lay here every day, waiting in vain to feel something. But I don't. My legs are useless. I'm broken, so excuse me if the last people I want to talk to right now are you!"

"But why?" Rose begged. "What did we do that made you hate us?"

Bella's eyes fluttered to a close. Though I wanted them to leave, to make my wife smile, I knew she needed to face them. And they needed to hear her reasons just as much as she needed them to understand. "I don't hate you. I love each of you, but it hurts to be around you."

"It hurts?" Alice cried. "Why does it hurt?"

Bella opened her eyes and looked at my sister. "Because you have everything, and I'm dead inside."

Though I could see the shock on their faces, I understood how Bella felt. Sitting on the side of Bella's bed, I grabbed her hand, bringing it up to my lips. "I feel dead inside, too."

"Why? Why do you two feel dead inside?" Jasper asked, sliding his arm around Alice, who had tears falling freely down her face.

"Everyone I've ever loved has left me," Bella murmured, and I immediately felt guilty for adding onto her pain. I may not have left her in the physical sense, but I had emotionally. "My mother didn't want me, my father died. Charlotte was stolen from me." Bella paused and looked at me before she spoke again. "While I know it's not all his fault, Edward wasn't there for me, either."

Guilt once again filled me, knowing that I hadn't been the husband my wife needed me to be.

"Now, I'm broken," Bella added. "Both physically and emotionally. So I'm sorry if you don't understand why I can't be around you when everything in your lives is so damn perfect."

"You think our lives are perfect?" Jasper asked.

Bella nodded.

Jasper leaned his forehead against the top of Alice's head. My sister had tears dripping down her cheeks. "We're afraid to start a family," he murmured, causing everyone else to look at him. "After losing Charlotte, we're terrified to even try. We loved her, too. We wanted her, too. But what if we try and . . ."

"Fail," Alice whispered when her husband's words hung loosely in the air. "We never left you, Bella. You're not the only one who has lost their parents, but we're still here, still trying to keep some since of semblance during a fucked up situation."

"You have Jasper's parents," Bella groused. "You have people that welcomed you into their family, Alice."

"I don't," Rose quipped, causing everyone to look at her. "You had an amazing father, Bella. One that loved you with every breath he took, but I didn't. The person who fathered me preferred to smack me around, tell me what a stupid whore I was. He didn't hide the fact that he blamed my birth for the reason why he got saddled with my bitch of a mother, who would rather drink her problems away. She never hit me. No, she just threw me at my father, taunted him with me so that he knew he'd never be free of her."

Rose pulled away from Emmett, who grabbed for her, and walked to the other side of Bella's bed, sitting on the edge so that she was facing my wife. "You made me feel needed, Bella. You made me feel like I had a place in our crazy, little family."

"Family?" Bella grumbled, placing her hands on the bed and attempted to push herself up. Huffing when her lower body just laid motionless, Bella shook her head. "I don't have a family. All I have is Edward, and I am desperately trying to hold on to him."

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered, sitting back on her bed and grabbing her hand, bringing it up to my lips. "Ever."

"Neither are we," Rose said, standing up.

Bella shifted her eyes from me to Rose, then to Emmett, Jasper, and Alice, before looking back at Rose. "Yeah?"

Rose nodded.

"Even if I never walk again?" Bella pressed.

"Yes," she replied.

"Bella, you're stuck with us," Emmett added, causing Bella to look at him. "We're family. We've never turned away from you or Edward in the past, and we certainly aren't going to start now."

Bella shook her head, turning away. Tears flooded her eyes, and her lips began to tremble. "I hope not."

"Edward." I turned to Alice, who had a frown on her face. "We're not leaving you, either."

I nodded. "I know."

An awkward silence filled the room. Only the sound of Bella's soft weeping could be heard. I wanted to hold her, to sooth her, but I couldn't. Bella needed a few minutes to collect herself. She hated people feeling sorry for her, people pitying her like this. It was one reason why she waited months to tell them about her father's death, why she rarely talked about Charlie Swan to anyone but me. Bella had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for far too long, and I hadn't helped her any.

"We should go," Jasper said, clearing his throat. "If you two need anything . . ."

"Just call," I mumbled. "Yeah, we know."

A sigh slipped out of his mouth, but he didn't say anything. I knew I had been a prick to him, too. Jasper had been my best friend since I was ten years old, and I needed to set things right with him, too, but Bella was my priority. She hadn't been for too long.

"We'll check on you later," Alice said, giving me a look.

Once again, I found myself nodding. One by one they left, each of them reminding us that they loved us, that they wanted to be here for us. The sentiment was great, but Bella and I needed to work on us before we could focus on repairing our relationships with them. Sliding the door closed behind them, I released a deep breath and turned back to Bella.

"That was . . . intense," I murmured.

Bella didn't say anything, just tilted her head to the side.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm not sure how to feel right now. They make it seem so easy, but . . ."

"It's not," I finished. Walking over to her bed, I sat down next to Bella, placing my elbows on my knees. "I'm scared."

"Of what?" she asked.

"To adopt Evan," I murmured, looking at her. A look of anguish filled her face so I quickly added, "I'm not saying no. Just that I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?"

I sighed. "I'm afraid that I'll love that little boy, only for him to be taken from us," I admitted. "My heart already aches for him, and I don't even know him. Bella, I'm scared to love him."

"I am, too," she whispered. "But I still want him to be ours."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Because you and I are barely okay. Are you sure we should even be considering adding him to our family?"

"No," she cried, bringing her hand up to her chest. "But in my heart, I feel like I'm already his mother. Just . . . just think about it. Please?"

Nodding, I heard myself promising her. I wanted nothing more than to be that little boy's father, but did I have anything to offer Evan?

**TWO YEARS AGO**

"I can't believe we're doing this," Bella muttered from the passenger seat of my car. Stifling my sigh, I looked over at her. "We should just send their money back to them and stay in the apartment."

"I can't live there anymore, Bella," I told her for the tenth time that morning. "It's too hard. We can find another apartment if you'd rather, but we could use the money. You know, get your loans paid off, put some up in savings."

"Guilt money," she snarked, turning and looking out the window. "Once again, Carlisle and Esme are trying to buy your love and you're letting them."

"No, I'm not," I said, unsure if the words coming out of my mouth were the truth or not. "But the apartment — it's not home anymore."

"And the new house will be?" Bella asked, looking over at me.

I shrugged my shoulders as I pulled up in front in front of the post office. "I don't know. I hope so."

"Yeah, I know you do," Bella muttered, turning away from me again. "Hope is lost, though. It died along with Charlotte."

Closing my eyes for a moment, I blew out a heavy breath and opened the door to the car, climbed out, and shut it harder than I intended. Once again, I found myself unsure what to say so instead I gripped the envelope inside my hand tighter and walked into the post office. Due to a small line, I had to wait a few minutes before it was my turn. The young man behind the counter looked flustered as he took the envelope from me.

"Do you want delivery confirmation?" he asked, laying it in front of him and looking up at me.

"Yes," I replied. "Also, can you stamp it so that the carriers know not to bend it? There are photos inside."

The man simply nodded before he reached under the counter and brought out his stamp, slamming it down right next to my parents' address. Once I'd paid for postage and the confirmation, I headed back out to where Bella was waiting for me. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them. When I slid into the car, she looked over at me.

"Well?" she asked. "Did you send them?"

I smiled, thinking about how the day after I was arrested, Bella and I went back to the house they'd paid for and spent the better part of the afternoon destroying every inch of it. Then, just to spite Carlisle and Esme, we'd sold the house to a developer who had the intention of tearing it down and building three in its place, but not before Bella and I managed to take several snapshots of the renovations. Petty? Yes, but it felt good to take my anger out on something. "Yep. They should be getting pictures of their precious house in a few days. I'm sure they'll just love what we've done with the place."

"Still think we should send their money back to them, too. In single dollar bills or rolls of quarters," she groused.

I laughed, though even I could hear how forced it sounded. "Tempting."

Bella hummed, but didn't utter a word.

Unsure of what else to say, I started the car and pulled out of the parking space and headed toward the interstate. Bella turned and looked out the window as I drove. She had been so angry about my parents forcing a house onto us, trying to buy us off. I wanted to believe that she was pissed at them, but I knew the truth: Bella blamed me for not getting rid of them years ago. Hell, who was I kidding? It was my fault. Everything that had gone wrong in our lives was my fault.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled up in front of a small, two bedroom house. Compared to the large, brick house _those people_ tried to buy us, this place was a dump. The white stucco house was barely bigger than our apartment, but at least there we'd have a yard, not that we would need it. Sighing, I shut off the car and looked over at Bella. She was staring at the house, a frown curved downward and a harsh look in her eyes.

"If you really don't want to buy this place, we won't," I murmured, drawing her attention to me. "We can stay at the apartment, and . . . I don't know."

Bella's eyes fluttered closed for a moment before they opened and she looked back at the house. "It's fine."

"No, it's not," I grumbled. "I just . . ."

"You what?" she asked, shifting her attention to me.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"Clearly it's something," she snarked.

I huffed. "I think we need a fresh start, someplace new."

Bella nodded as a car pulled up behind us. "You mean away from Charlotte."

"No, I . . ." But before I could finish my thought, Bella threw open the car door and climbed out, slamming it shut behind her. Blowing out a gust of air, I clenched my hand into a tight fist, resisting the urge to slam it through the window. Instead, I took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, meeting Bella and the realtor on the front porch so we could do a final walk through before we signed the papers and closed on the house.

"Hello, Edward," Jane Sinclair said, giving me a wide smile. A short, plumpy woman, she had an annoyingly nasal voice. "Are we ready to proceed?"

"Actually —"

"Yes," Bella said, cutting me off. "Let's get this over and done with."

When I lifted an eyebrow in her direction, Bella simply shrugged her shoulders and followed Jane into the house. The house wasn't anything special. The living room was small, the kitchen was old and needed to be updated, and the two bedrooms needed new paint and fresh carpeting, but except for the size of the living room, we could make this place a home. Bella and I could start over, maybe reconnect again.

"Well, I guess all that is left is signing on the dotted line," Jane said, laying the paperwork out on the kitchen counter and holding a pen out to me.

I shifted my eyes over to Bella, who was standing next to the back door with her arms wrapped around her torso. Clearing my throat, I pulled her attention to me. "You still want to do this?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah."

Though I could tell she didn't, I took the pen from Jane and placed one hand on the counter while I read through the paperwork. Since we were able to pay the full purchase price for the house upfront, all we had to do was sign the paperwork and transfer the money to the seller. Shifting my eyes to Bella, I drummed the pen on the counter a few times. After taking a deep breath, I signed my name across the dotted line, and prayed that somehow, I'd get my wife back.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Gonna be honest, not sure I love this chapter. I really struggled a lot with this one. Every time I sat down to write, I'd find myself staring at it and cringing what I'd write. So, yes, I know it sucks, but I've decided to let it go and move onto the next chapter. On a positive note, there has been a HUGE decrease in the prices of my books. The majority of my ebooks are only $1.49 now, which one at $0.99 and two at $3.99. If you'd like to look them up, you can find me on Amazon under the name Lisa Bilbrey, as well as on Barnes and Noble.**


	42. Chapter 42

**BPOV — TWO YEARS **

I shuffled through the cardboard maze that made up our living room and stumbled into the kitchen. Edward and I had spent all weekend moving from our apartment to the new house, the one he bought with the blood money his parents had given us. Maybe not given us, but he hadn't sent it back. Sure, he'd destroyed the house they attempted to buy us, the one that was somehow supposed to make up for the fact that Carlisle and Esme had killed my daughter, but he hadn't sent them the money. Instead, he used it to buy this house. This piece of shit house that cost us almost half of what we paid for it in repairs. The plumbing went out and then there were electrical problems. Shit house inspectors were supposed to pick up on, but the guy Edward found hadn't, so instead of moving in three months ago, we'd spent the summer trying to make the place livable. We should have just torn it down, taken a package of matches and watched it burn. Now, that would have been fun.

"Cap called and asked if I could cover the weekend shift," Edward said as he walked into the kitchen. He stubbed his toe on stack of boxes that were leaning against the wall. "Fuck! Piece of shit boxes."

As he fell forward, the boxes stumbled to the ground and the contents rolled out, including a bottle of tequila that had somehow gotten packed in with the towels and placemats. I picked it up, wanting nothing more than to tear the lid off and suck it dry.

"You have to go to work. Surely you can wait until tonight to drink," he snarked, ripping the bottle out of my hands and slamming it on the counter.

I flinched. "I told you that I wasn't drinking anymore."

"That's what you said all right," he muttered.

"I haven't had a drink in a month," I retorted.

"Then how'd this get in the box?" he asked, shaking the bottle at me.

"I don't know," I grumbled, grabbing the bottle from him, opening it, and pouring the contents down the drain.

"You're gonna be late." Without a word, I tossed the bottle into the trashcan and turned to walk out of the kitchen, but stopped when Edward reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked back at him. "I'm sorry."

I pulled my hand out of his grip. "Yeah, me too."

Leaving Edward standing in the middle of the kitchen, I made my way out of the house and into the garage. As I drove to Clover Elementary, all I could think about was the feel of the bottle in my hand and the memory of the delicious burn as it trickled down my throat.

—WLB—

By the time my last student left with their mother, I was exhausted. The first day of a new school year was always hectic, but it seemed like this year, all of my students were screams, or worse: criers. At least five of my kids cried when their parents dropped them off and only two calmed down after a few minutes. The other three cried off and on all day, while the other fifteen students in my class screamed, ran around the room, and behaved horribly.

"I don't know about you, Bella," Angela groaned, flopping back in her desk chair. "But I'm glad today is over."

"Me too," I muttered, walking over to my desk and grabbing the stack of papers in the middle and placing them in my tray. "I don't know how we'll handle them if they are like this all year, Ang. I mean, one or two emotional kids is one thing, but it seemed like all of them had cried at one point or another."

"That little Robbie is going to be one to watch," she said, standing up and grabbing her purse. "He's got a temper."

I nodded and made a note of her observation in my notebook. "Yeah, might need to move his seat closer to mine or yours. But then we have Jade, who attached herself to my leg all day. Not sure we can move her yet."

"That's true." Angela sighed as she walked over and stood in front of my desk. "Ben's working tonight. Want to go get some dinner with me?"

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth as I looked up at her. "Um, can't. Sorry. Um, Edward's cooking and . . . you know with the new house and everything. Christening it or whatever."

"Oh, yeah, of course." She waved me off, giving me no indication if she knew I was lying. Edward hadn't been home long enough to cook, or talk to me, or do anything with me, but she didn't need to know that. "Maybe later in the week."

"Sure." I smiled, hoping it would seem genuine. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed before turning and walking out of my classroom.

The moment the door was closed, I fell back in my seat and closed my eyes. I like Angela, but being around her, listening to her blabber about how awesome Ben was, was like pulling teeth. She and Ben was a constant reminder of how far Edward and I had fallen. We used to be happy. We used to laugh and love, but not anymore. Hell, it'd been months since he'd touched me, kissed me, held me in his arms while we slept. I'd lost my husband a long time ago.

"Fuck it, I need a drink," I muttered, scrambling to my feet, grabbing my purse, and rushing out of my room.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car up into to garage. Edward's car was gone when I pulled into the garage, not that I was surprised of course. He'd signed up to work extra shifts. He'd do anything he could to stay away from me, even buy me a ridiculous house that neither of us wanted. But the apartment hadn't been our home, either. Not since Charlotte.

Reaching over to the passenger seat of my car, I wrapped my hand around the bottle of tequila sitting inside the brown paper back. Today was nothing that a nice drink couldn't help.

Sighing, I climbed out of the car, hugging the bottle to my chest, and walking inside the house, which caused my jaw to drop. Edward had unpacked every box in the living room, and inside the kitchen from the look of it, too. There was a note tapped to the front of the refrigerator, so I pulled it off.

_Ran to the store to grab some groceries. _

_Was thinking pizza for dinner. What do _

_you think? Text me and let me know. _

_E_

Tears filled my eyes as I put the bottle of tequila on the counter and dug my phone out of my purse and sent him a text.

**Pizzas fine. Pepperoni. No Anchovies. B**

A moment later, my phone vibrated in my hand. I opened the message and found a smiley face next to an, 'okay.'

Turning my attention back to the bottle, I tore the lid off and brought it to my lips, but before one drop could fall into my mouth, I threw it into the sink. The bottle broke and the dark liquor poured down the drain. Wrapping my arms around myself, I stumbled back against the wall and slid to the floor. Everything was out of control, yet I didn't know how to make it better. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to feel Edward's arms around me.

**PRESENT DAY**

"Tell me to stop," Edward murmured, giving me a cheeky smile.

"I don't want you to," I replied, breathlessly.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I just wish I could feel it."

Edward sighed, shifting his eyes down to my legs, which were resting across his lap so he could massage my calf muscles. "You will."

I didn't say anything, knowing it was pointless. While I'd regained more feeling in my feet, from my toes almost to the back of my heel, I still couldn't feel my legs, or move my legs, or do anything with my legs. I hated feeling so helpless and useless. Voicing my feelings would only make Edward lie to me in an effort to reconfirm that everything would be okay. It wasn't, and there wasn't any point of pretending. We'd done enough of that since Charlotte died, and I refused to let us get to that place again. Edward deserved better than that from me.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Edward murmured.

I smiled. "I was thinking about our honeymoon. Remember how amazing the sand felt?"

Edward nodded. "It was incredible. Soft, warm, but not hot."

"I wish we were there right now," I whispered, shifting my eyes toward the window. I hadn't been outside in weeks, though Edward always kept the blinds open for me. Today, the sky was dark and angry, full of moisture that was threatening to fall. It reminded me of Forks. When it would get like this, Charlie would drag me out into the yard and we'd lay in the grass, watching and waiting for the heavens to open and the rain to fall.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Edward asked, tightening his grip on my foot. With tears in my eyes, I looked back at him. "Baby, talk to me."

"When did my life get so fucked up?" I cried. "First my dad, then Charlotte, now my legs. What did I do, Edward? Why is God punishing me?"

"You didn't do anything," he lied. I knew it, he knew it, and there wasn't any point in pretending otherwise. "Charlie got sick. Who knows why the cancer started growing in his body. And Charlotte, well we both know who's to blame for her death."

"I still hate them," I mumbled.

"Me too," he whispered.

"I think about her all the time," I cried. "What color her hair would have been? Whose eyes she got? She'd be talking by now, probably non-stop after being around your sister."

Edward laughed softly. "Emmett would fill her with sugar."

"I want to let them in." I looked at Edward. "Emmett and everyone, but I don't want their pity, Edward. I don't like needing them. It only . . ."

"It only what?" he asked.

"Loving them will make it hurt more when they're taken from me, too," I sobbed.

"Oh, baby." Edward released his hold on my feet and moved so that he was laying with me in my bed.

"Everyone I've ever loved has left me, Edward. Everyone."

"I'm still here," he whispered.

"Now. You're here now. But —"

"No," he interrupted. "There are no buts. I'm never leaving you, Bella. I never did. Maybe, I wasn't the husband I should have been, but I never left. Never."

I wrapped my arms around him best I could considering the lower half of my body was useless. Edward held me tight, whispering that he loved me, that he was never letting me go. I wanted more than anything to believe him, but he'd been pulling away from me for months. Hell, years, and the thought of him not being there anymore scared me more than anything. I loved Edward, I always had and I always would. But would he? If I never got my legs back, would he still love me?

"Knock, knock," Garrett called out just before he slid the glass door to my room open. He had a smile on his face, which quickly fell when he saw the tears lingering on my cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I whimpered, trying in vain to push myself up on the bed. Of course the deadweight that were once my legs made it impossible. "So, what's new?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

I sighed. "Yes. Sorry I cried. I'm a girl. It happens."

Garrett and Edward laughed.

"Is there any change to my latest tests?" I asked.

Garrett sighed and sat on the edge of my bed. "No. The scans are all showing a decrease in swelling. There's not any nerve damage to explain why you can't feel all of your legs."

"So what's the next step?" Edward pressed. "Where do we go from here?"

"You go home," Garrett said, shifting his eyes to mine.

"What?"

"You go home. There isn't anything else I can do for you here. You can meet with Seth on an outpatient basis, but medically, I have no reason to keep you in the hospital."

"So that's it?" I asked. "You're just dumping me because you can't fix me."

"Oh, fuck. That's not what I meant," he was quick to add. "I just . . . Maybe being at home will help. Maybe you need to consider that you may never . . ."

"I may never get my legs back. That's what you're telling me?"

"I don't know," Garrett replied. "I wish I had an answer for you, Bella, but I don't. There's no medical reason why you shouldn't have feeling in your legs. I just don't know how to help you anymore."

"Bella, maybe he's right," Edward said, shifting his eyes down to me. "Maybe going home, being somewhere that you're more comfortable will help."

"I don't know," I fretted.

"Look, how about we do this," Garrett suggested. "Take tonight. Go home. If by morning, you don't feel like you're okay, call me and I'll figure out something."

"Like what?" I asked. "Make up some kind of lie to get me back in here? We both know that once I leave here, there isn't any coming back."

"I know, but . . ." Garrett trailed off as he sighed. "The hospital board is getting impatient. They're starting to question why I've kept you in the ICU when you're not critical anymore. They're getting a lot of pressure from the press, and I've held them off as much as I can, but . . ."

"I see," I muttered. "So the hospital is kicking me out on my ass because now, I'm just taking up space."

"Basically," he groused. "I've fought for you, Bella. I have, but there's nothing more I can do."

Nodding, I tried to blink back my tears. "Kind of the story of my life." But before he could apologize, I added, "Don't worry about it, Garrett. We'll be out of here soon."

"If I can do anything," he said, standing up. He pulled a card out of his coat pocket and handed it to Edward. "Just call. Middle of the night, whenever. Promise?"

"Promise," I whimpered.

Garrett sighed as he stood up and walked out of my room, pulling the door shut behind him. Shifting my eyes over to Edward, I shook my head. "Guess it's time to go home."

"I love you," he whispered, bringing his hand up to my cheek.

"I love you, too," I cried. And I did love him, more than anything. I just hoped that when we let the small, private bubble we had created for ourselves at the hospital, that we'd be able to hold on to each other.

**Thanks for being patient with me. I'm really struggling to get these chapters written, so please understand that I am trying. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. There are only about four more chapters in this one.**


	43. Chapter 43

**EPOV — PRESENT DAY**

I was fucking nervous. Bella was coming home, and I was terrified about what would happen. I loved her, more than anything else in the world, but Bella and I had been living in a bubble while she was in the hospital. What was going to happen when we had to return to our lives?

I'd been lucky enough to be able to take the last few weeks off work. Years of saving my vacation time had caused me to build up hundreds of hours. Bella and I never went anywhere, did anything, so why did I need take off, right? But Bella had needed me, so I took a leave of absence, but eventually, I'd have to go back to the force. Would Bella and I be able repair our relationship once we were thrust into the real world again?

"What are you thinking?" Bella asked, pulling my attention to her.

I'd just gotten her loaded into the car. Her new wheelchair, courtesy of the hospital, was tucked away in the trunk. "I'm worried that it's too soon."

That wasn't a lie. I was worried about it being too soon for her to be coming home, but more than that, I worried that I'd lose her.

"Me too," she admitted.

"Yeah?" I asked, and she nodded. "It's not that I don't want to go home, it's just . . ."

"We've spent the last few weeks hiding from life. Now that we're going home, you're scared that you and I won't be able to hold on to each other," she said before looking out the car window. "So am I."

"I love you," I whispered, causing Bella to look over at me. "I love you so much. I know that I've fucked up everything, but I never stopped loving you. Not once."

"I love you, too," she murmured. "And we both made mistakes, Edward. You pulled away, I pushed you out the door. I was angry, and instead of turning to you, letting you love me, I drank. I was mean and hateful. I don't blame you for not wanting to be with me."

"I wanted to be with you, Bella," I said, quickly. "I just . . . You stopped looking at me. After Charlotte died, you stopped looking at me. Then you started drinking, and you'd lash out at me. I just got to the point where I stopped caring, I guess. I wanted you, Bella. So fucking much, but by the time you stopped drinking, I'd given up. I know it's not fair, but I felt like you . . ."

"Like I what?" she asked.

"Like you blamed me," I whispered, wishing I could keep the words inside, but knowing that we couldn't keep lying to ourselves. Not anymore.

"Blamed you for what?" she asked, the vulnerability in her words had me second guessing everything I was confessing. "Edward, what do you think I blamed you for?"

I shifted my eyes out the window, wishing more than anything I'd never said a word. "For Charlotte. For her death."

Bella inhaled a sharp breath, and I figured she'd start screaming at me. But instead, I felt her place her hand on my arm, so I looked over at her. She had tears streaming down her face. "I never, not once, blamed you for Charlotte's death, Edward."

"Yeah?" I choked out.

"Never," she whispered, bringing her hand up to my face. "I blamed myself for a long time, and I blamed your parents because they wouldn't stop, you know? Just always there, always calling, sending gifts, trying to ease their guilt. But never once did I blame you for her death."

I grabbed Bella's hand, pressing her palm against my lips. "I hate them."

"I do, too," she muttered. "Take me home, Edward."

Nodding, I kissed her hand again before lowering it to my lap. As I shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the hospital, I heard my wife crying softly.

—WLB—

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car up in the driveway of our house. Neither Bella nor I had been back here since the morning of she stormed out of here, pissed and angry at me for not being the husband she needed. Emmett had brought me clothes to the hospital, knowing that I couldn't leave her, not even for a second. I needed Bella, more than anything in the world, I needed her.

"It looks different," she murmured. I turned toward her. "Doesn't it seem different?"

I nodded. "It does."

"Edward, before we go in, promise me that we won't let our fears and anger get between us again," she whispered. "That when we go into that house, we're doing so with a clean slate. Promise me that you're never going to stop loving me."

"I promise." And I hoped like hell that I'd be able to keep that promise. I didn't want to lose Bella, not again.

Whether she believed me or not, I couldn't tell, but she nodded as she squeezed my hand and opened her car door. I climbed out of the car and rushed around to her. Sliding one arm under her legs and the other around her back, I lifted Bella out of the car and carried her onto the porch. Bella used my keys to unlock the front door. Taking a deep breath, I carried her into the house. I laid Bella on the couch, giving her a quick kiss before I rushed outside and grabbed her wheelchair. I left our bags, the multitude of flowers and balloons that had been sent to her, along with the half a dozen boxes full of fan letters in the car. I couldn't handle messing with all of that. The two minutes that I'd been away from my wife were two minutes too long.

Bella looked over at me when I brought her chair in, her eyes wide and full of tears that I knew she was struggling to keep them from falling. Leaning her chair against the wall, I walked over to her and knelt in front of her, bringing my hands up to her face. "Oh, baby."

"I feel so helpless, Edward," she cried. "I hate being weak."

"You're not weak," I told her. "You're amazing."

"No, I'm not," she wept.

Sliding my arms around her again, I stood up with her in my arms and carried her into our bedroom. I laid her on the bed before kicking my shoes off and climbing on next to her. I slid one arm under her, while draping my other arm across her stomach, wrapping my fingers around her hip.

A sigh trickled out of her lips as she closed her eyes. "I missed our bed."

"I missed our bed, too," I whispered. "Especially having you in our bed with me."

Bella's head lobbed to the side, looking at me. "Touch me."

"W — What?" I stammered.

"Touch me," she said again, the two words coming out thick and needy. "Please, touch me. Show me that you love me. Make me feel normal again. Even if it's for a few minutes. Please, just . . . touch me."

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Bella blew out a heavy breath as she nodded. "I trust you."

"I love you," I whispered before sliding my hand across her abdomen and down to the hem of her T-shirt. Bella pushed herself up so that she was sitting and raised her arms, allowing me to take her shirt off. Shifting on the bed so that I was kneeling in front of her, I brought my hand up to her breast, rolling her nipple between my fingers. Bella fell back on the bed, moaning.

"More," she gasped, arching her back toward me. "Please, more!"

Sliding my hand down her stomach, I gripped the front of her sweatpants, pulling on the waistband. Bella shifted her eyes to mine as I lifted the lower half of her body off the bed, striping her pants and panties off. I placed my hands on her legs, slowly gliding them upward until I reached her pussy.

Her breath hitched as my fingers grazed her. "Edward."

"I love you," I whispered, parting her wet folds and sliding a finger into her. Bella gasped, but didn't say anything. Her eyes were locked on my hand, watching as I touched her. "Can you feel me?"

Her eyes shifted to mine. "No."

I tried not to let it bother me, but I needed her to feel me, to know that I was loving her with my touch.

"Don't stop," she whispered.

Sliding my fingers out, I pushed them back in, over and over again. Feeling her pussy constrict against me, feeling as her body responded to me, but she couldn't feel me. Bella watched, gasping and whispering my name. She might be able to feel me physically, but she was emotionally.

Though she couldn't feel me, I turned my hand up and pressed the palm of my hand against her clit. Her pussy tightened around my fingers as her orgasm hit her. Though she couldn't feel my touch, Bella cried out as her climax washed over her, and for a moment, we were lovers again.

**EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO**

Shifting my eyes up to the clock, I groaned. Almost midnight and instead of being at home with Bella, I was standing behind the bar at McClellan's Bar. A man to my left slammed his hand on the bar top, slurring out a request for another scotch. Sighing, I grabbed the bottle and refilled his drink.

"Last one," I told him, hating this job with every passing minute.

However, it was better than going home. Better than dealing with my wife. Bella was pissed. All the time. At me, at the world, at God — you name it, she was pissed at it. Not that I could blame her. Our lives had been ripped apart by my parents who destroyed our happiness when they killed my daughter, then poured salt on our wounds by trying to buy our forgiveness. Like I'd ever forgive them, or myself.

It was my fault I was stuck working this shitty job. Bella had wanted me to send the money back. The money from the sale of the house they had attempted to bribe us with, but I thought it would be a way for us to reconnect, to maybe save our marriage. But it hadn't. Instead, I'd bought us a house that was falling apart around us. The plumbing, the electricity, the roof, the foundation—all of it needed to be replaced or fixed, which basically sucked every last cent away from us and left us barely scraping by. So, I did what I had to and found a second job. The problem, I couldn't tell Bella. First, she hadn't been speaking to me in almost a month, and the few words she did say were full of hate and anger. Second, she'd come here and start drinking again. That's if I could really believe that she had stopped. She said she had, but I still found empty bottles in the trash, ones that she tried to hide. Like I was stupid, like I would believe that she'd poured it out before sucking it dry.

My wife was a liar, but that's okay. I was one, too.

"Edward, we're slow tonight," Laurent McClellan said as he came out of the back. "Why don't you head on home? You've been here every night. I'm sure you're tired."

I didn't reply. There wasn't a reason to. When Laurent made up his mind that was all there was to it. So, I simply nodded and tossed the towel I kept draped over my shoulder so I could wipe down the bottles of beers as I pulled them out of the ice onto the bar top and left.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car up next to Bella's, noticing how dark the house was, which meant one of two things. Either Bella had gone to bed already, which as doubtful seeing as it was a Friday night and she tended to stay up all night during the weekend, or she was drunk. My bet was on option number two.

I tossed my keys into the wicker basket Bella placed on the table next to the door. It was a habit she'd picked up from her father, who told her that way, they'd be ready if he needed to rush out on a call. As a cop, I saw his logic. More times that I'd like to count I'd been pulled away in the middle of the night by a case, which was just one more reason Bella hated me. But whatever. I was used to being the bad guy.

I found Bella curled up on the couch. A dozen candles lit up the living room and she had the stereo on. I recognized the playlist immediately. It'd been the collection we'd put together for our wedding, a compilation of our favorite songs.

She looked over at me when I walked in. Her long, brown hair had been pulled up in a messy knot on the top of her head, and her eyes were full of hatred and anger. But at least I could tell she hadn't been drinking. Yet, at least.

"Where were you?" she asked, her voice void of emotion.

I shrugged my shoulders "Out."

Bella scrambled off the couch and stormed into the kitchen. A moment later, I heard a loud crash and rushed in after her, only to find her standing at the stove and one of casserole dishes in pieces at her feet. Her legs, the floor, and the front of the stove was covered in gooey cheese and, what looked like, spaghetti sauce.

"What the fuck?" I snapped, grabbing the roll of paper towels off the counter and moving so that I was kneeling in front of her.

As I began to attempt to scoop the mess up, Bella said, "What do you care? You were out, remember? I made us dinner, thinking you were going to be home six fucking hours ago, but no, you were out. So everything's okay!"

I sighed, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. However, Bella grabbed my arm, pushing me backward. I fell back on my ass and looked up at her. For a moment — a very brief moment — I saw the woman I'd fallen in love with, but just as quick, her eyes turned hard and she was gone.

"Fuck, Bella," I spat. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I was doing every fucking moment of the day. I had shit to take care of."

"Shit?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "Well, as long as you had shit to take care of, then I guess everything is okay. Not like I sat here and worried that you were dead, that you were hurt. Because you had shit to take care. That makes me feel so much better."

"God, you're such a bitch," I snarled, tossing the paper towels at her feet. "You know what? Fuck you. You can clean this shit up. I'm done."

As I turned and walked away, I heard her muttered, "Yeah, walk away. It's what you do best. Why don't you go running back to mommy? Let her take care of you."

Though the urge to scream at her that all I wanted as her, the Bella I'd fallen in love with in college, I walked into our bedroom and slammed the door shut behind me.

When did my life become so fucked up?

**Thank you for all the reviews. I feel the need to address something that was brought up by a reviewer. Yes, they've been through a lot. First with Bella losing her father, then the way Carlisle and Esme treated her, the way they've had to fight to stay together. The loss of Charlotte has them both reeling, and there is no magical cure for grief. It's important to understand that when I am writing a chapter in Bella's POV, that it's going to read like it's all Edward's fault, while his POV's are going to read like it's hers. This is how they see it, this is why they fell apart. Even though they still love each other in the present times, doesn't mean that there still isn't resentment toward each other. Both Bella and Edward are at fault for letting their marriage fall apart to the point that they couldn't see a way out until Phil Dwyer found his way into her classroom.**

**Now, with only a few chapter left, I need to remind you that the past portions of the chapters are going to be ugly and hard.**


	44. Chapter 44

**BPOV — Eight Months Ago **

"Okay, friends, listen up," I said, waiting for the seventeen little boys and girls to stop talking and turn their attention up to me. Once they did, I smiled at each one of them. "Do not forget to give your parents the letter I placed in your Friday Folders. It's very important that they sign those, or you will not be able to attend the field trip next week. Okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen," they murmured, anxiously fidgeting in their seats. I shifted my eyes to the clock and smiled.

"Ten, Nine, Eight," I counted.

"Seven, Six, Five," we said together. "Four, three, two, one!"

Cheering, I walked over to the door to our classroom and pushed it open, smiling as each of my kids slowly walked out of the classroom. Half of them rushed into the arms of their parents, babysitters, grandparents, or older siblings who had been given the job of picking them up after school, while the other half walked in a straight line down to where the bus kids were to line up.

I waited until every child was where they were supposed to be before I closed the door and walked back into my classroom. Angela had taken the afternoon off, stating that she had a doctor's appointment. Though she was trying to hide it, I suspected that she and Ben were having a baby. She wouldn't want to rub it in my face that they were getting everything they ever wanted, while my life had continued to unravel at the seams.

Sighing, I walked around my classroom, straightening the desks and making sure the chairs were tucked beneath the table. Once I had done that, I walked over to my desk, gathered my purse, and left for the weekend. Though, I wasn't in a hurry to get home. I would be alone there. Edward hadn't spent more than an hour or two at home all week. At least, not hours that I wasn't asleep. He came home late and crawled into bed smelling like cheap perfume and was gone the next morning before I awoke. And the few times we had seen each other, we barely spoke more than a few words. Our marriage was ending, but I was terrified to let him go.

When I pulled up into the driveway of the house, I groaned when I saw Rose and Alice waiting for me on the porch. I'd put more effort in my friendship with them, knowing that I'd hurt them when I pushed them away after Charlotte, but I still found it difficult to be around them. Their lives were prefect, while mine was a mess. Though, that was my fault. I'd lost Edward when I turned to alcohol as a way to numb my pain.

It'd been almost eighteen months since I'd had my last drink, and every night I felt the urge to lose myself in a bottle. And Edward's avoidance of me didn't help. Or the fact that I was certain he was having an affair. He'd stopped loving me, yet I still couldn't let him go. I still needed him too damn much.

"Hey," I said, trying to smile as I unlocked the front door and waved for them to follow me inside. "Did we have plans tonight that I forgot about?"

"Edward didn't tell you?" Alice asked.

I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. Edward didn't tell me anything, not anymore. Instead, I shook my head and widened my smile, hoping that they couldn't see right through me. "Tell me what?"

"We're going out to dinner tonight," she said. "The six of us." Then she shifted her eyes to Rose. "For their anniversary."

I clenched my jaw together. Because of Charlotte's death, Rose and Emmett had postponed their wedding for months. Of course it went without being said that Carlisle and Esme were no longer invited, seeing as none of them had anything to do with the murderous assholes, either. Finally, in September, just eight months after my daughter had been taken from me, Emmett and Rose had a small, intimate ceremony. Just them, Alice, Jasper, me, Edward, and a few of Emmett and Rose's work friends. Rose had made it clear that she didn't want her family there, and I respected her enough not to push the issue. If I had only done that when Jasper and Alice got married, maybe Carlisle and Esme never would have been in our lives and my daughter would still be alive. My life was full of what ifs.

"He must have forgotten," I lied. "You know how much he and Jas work."

Alice nodded. "Yeah, totally. Anyway, Rose and I thought since it's been awhile since we've all been out, that it would be fun for us to get ready here and then meet the guys at the restaurant."

"If you don't mind, of course, Bella," Rose was quick to add.

"Of course not," I lied again. "Um, how much time do we have?"

"A couple hours," Alice said, clearly relieved.

"Well, I guess I should shower," I murmured, and before they could say anything else, I tossed my purse on the coffee table and walked down the hallway to the bedroom and closed the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I cursed Edward for putting me in this position.

—WLB—

Two hours later I was dressed and riding in the front seat of Rose's car. Alice was in the backseat, talking a mile a minute about the new account her company had just acquired. A few months after Charlotte's passing, Alice opened her own graphic design firm. Though she was terrified, she'd managed to make quite a name for herself.

Bracing my elbow on the car door, I pressed my forehead against the palm of my hand and silently sighed. I didn't blame her for being excited. Alice had worked hard to put herself through school after her parents had yanked their support out from under her. And even after they offered to pay her way again, she refused and told them she'd prove to them that she and Jasper were more than capable of taking care of themselves, despite their young age. And they been able to. I envied the ease of their relationship.

"Ugh, this place is packed," Rose whined as she pulled into the parking lot of the steakhouse we were meeting our husbands at. Luckily, there was a car pulling out of one of the front spaces, so she waited for them to pull out before taking the space. We climbed out and headed inside, finding Emmett and Jasper already at a table in the back. We pushed our way through the crowd and walked over to them. Immediately, Emmett and Jasper had their wives in their arms, placing a soft kiss on their lips before pulling out a chair for them. I stood there for a moment and looked around for Edward.

"He isn't here yet," Emmett said, drawing my attention to him.

"Oh," I murmured, taking one of the empty seats.

"I thought the three of you were getting ready together," Alice said with a frown.

"Edward never showed up," Jasper told her.

"Didn't you remind him about dinner?" she asked, sounding more than irate.

"I didn't see him today. I had court," he explained, before shifting his eyes over to mine. "But I'm sure he's on his way."

"I'm sure he is, too," I lied, placing my elbow on the table.

"Sorry about the delay, folks," our waiter said, smiling as he looked around at each of us. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Um, iced tea," Rose ordered.

"Same for me," Emmett said.

"Coke for us," Alice told him, gesturing to her and Jasper.

The waiter nodded and looked over at me. "And for you?"

More than anything, I wanted to order a glass of wine, or a shot of tequila, anything strong and powerful, but instead, I said, "Water."

"Okay, do you know what you want to eat?" he asked, looking at each of us.

"We're still waiting on someone so we'll wait until he gets here," Alice told him.

Our waiter nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, he brought our drinks and placed them on the table. Edward still hadn't shown up. Giving us even more time, he left to help another table. After almost half an hour, I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and walked out of the restaurant, trying to hide my humiliation. I called Edward, but it went straight to his voicemail. I tried texting him, but he didn't text me back. Tears filled my eyes as I called a cab. Without telling Emmett, Jasper, Alice, or Rose, I left.

Edward had stood me up.

**PRESENT DAY**

"Come on, Bella, you're doing so good," Seth said, trying to be encouraging. I found it annoying. Yeah, I was doing so good at not feeling my legs. Yeah for me!

"I can't do this," I cried, falling back on the mats. For the last hour, I'd been trying to move my foot, just an inch. Just enough to show that there was something still working down there. But I couldn't. While I had feeling up to my ankles now, I still couldn't get my legs to move at all. I hated it. I hated how everything in my life felt out of control.

"Hey, you're doing fabulous," Seth said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You can turn your foot in either direction, right?"

I nodded, sniffing back my tears. "But I can't do anything else."

"Yet," he said with a smile. "You can't do those things yet. But you're regaining feeling and your muscles are strong. We'll keep working, okay? We're not giving up."

It was the same speech he gave me at the end of all of my sessions, one that I was desperately holding onto because I wanted my life back.

"I'll see you on Wednesday. Keep stretching your muscles. It helps," Seth ordered, waiting for me to nod before the turned and looked at Edward, who had been sitting behind me. During every session, he held me up, giving me what little support he could. "Edward, make sure she does."

"I will," he told him, just like always. And he would. Edward and I spent almost as much time on my legs at home as we did in therapy, which was why I was so frustrated that I wasn't getting better feeling yet. Why wasn't my body working?

Edward slipped his arms under my legs and around my back before lifting me of the mats and placing me in my chair. Then, he pushed me out of the physical therapy room and over to the elevator. Garrett had asked us to stop by after my session so he could go over my latest test results. I didn't mind. I just hated that every time was the same. There wasn't any reason why my legs were broken. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe I didn't want it bad enough.

"Heidi called while Seth had you on the table," Edward said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I shifted my eyes up to his. Heidi Bennett was the social worker assigned to Evan's case. Edward and I had officially applied to adopt him last week, but there were concerns. My physical health being one of them. "And?"

"She said they had gotten all our paperwork and would let us know what the next step would be," he explained.

I tried not to let it bother me that they doubted our ability to raise Evan. Hell, I understood. My body was broken, Edward's job was dangerous, my history with alcohol hadn't helped, and the fact that Edward and I were talking to a couple's therapist didn't help, either. But we knew we had to work on ourselves before we could be the parents Evan needed. That little boy had gone through enough hell without us adding our problems, too.

"But she also said that they'd like to set up some visitation between us and Evan. Supervised, of course, but that's a good sign, right?" Edward's desperation almost matched mine.

"I guess," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I mean, they wouldn't want him to get attached to us if they didn't think we'd be a good match for him, right?"

"Yeah," he murmured, but I could tell he wasn't as sure as I was.

The door to the elevator opened and Edward pushed my chair out, and I gasped. Garrett was standing at the nurses' desk talking to Kate, Evan's foster mother. And behind her was Evan. The three of them looked over at us and smiled, but my attention was on Evan. His grin as he tore himself away from Kate and rushed over to us, nearly catapulting himself onto my lap.

"Evan, careful!" Kate cautioned, but I waved her off.

"He's okay," I whimpered, trying to keep my tears from falling.

Evan leaned away and looked up at me, his smile becoming bigger. "Sorry. I was excited."

"That's okay," I told him. "Look at you! You've gotten so big."

"Kate makes me eat yucky food," he grumbled, though I could tell that he didn't mind it one bit.

"Oh, yeah, like what?" Edward asked, accepting the chair Garrett had brought him.

"Like potatoes and carrots," he muttered.

"Hmm," Edward hummed. "I love potatoes, but not carrots."

"You do?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Yep," he replied. "Especially Bella's special mashed potatoes. Butter, cheese, bacon. Makes me hungry just thinking about them."

"You like bacon?" Evan exclaimed, leaning against me. "I love bacon. Kate says I'd eat bacon at every meal if I could. And it's true. I would," he laughed. The sound warmed my heart and I pressed my forehead against the top of his head. "Bella."

"Yes, sweetheart," I whispered.

"When do I get to come live with you?" he whispered.

I tensed, because Edward and I had agreed not to talk to Evan about our plan to adopt him until we knew it was done deal. I shifted my eyes to Kate, who looked just as surprised as me. "Um, I don't know," I admitted. "We have to wait for a judge to say it's okay, and it might take a while."

"Because of your legs?" he asked, and I nodded. "But you want me, right? You want me to be yours."

"You're already ours, Evan," Edward whispered, placing his hand on Evan's face, wiping away the tears that had been falling. "And that will never change. No matter what the judge says, okay?"

Evan nodded, but I knew he didn't underrated. He was a kid. And even though he'd lived through more hell than any kid should have to, he still believed in happily ever after. I hoped like hell that we'd be able to give him one. He deserved it.

"Okay, kiddo, we've got to go," Kate said.

"All right," Evan grumbled, but turned and gave me a big hug. "I love you, Mommy."

My breath caught in my chest, but I managed to stammer out a thick, "I love you, too."

Evan smiled as he climbed off my lap and hugged Edward, whispering, "I love you, Daddy."

Much like me, Edward barely managed to choke out, "I love you, too, buddy."

Kate placed her hand on Evan's back and looked over at us. "I'll be in touch, okay? We'll get more visits in."

"Thank you," I whimpered, trying to keep my tears from falling until after Evan was gone. Kate shifted her eyes to Garrett before leading Evan to the stairs. The moment they were out of sight, the flood gates opened, and my tears fell freely down my face.

"Come on," Garrett whispered, pushing my chair toward his office.

After a few minutes, I managed to compose myself, but my heart ached. I hated every minute that I had to be away from that little boy. He was my son, and I knew Edward, though terrified of opening his heart again to a child, thought of Evan as his own, too.

"Sorry, I didn't know Kate was bringing Evan by," Garrett muttered.

"It's okay," Edward murmured. "We're just anxious to take him home with us."

"Yeah, Kate said he asks her every day when he gets to go to your house."

"She does, huh?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow at Garrett. "You and Kate talk a lot?"

Garrett blushed. "Almost every night."

"You love her," I said. It wasn't a question, but a fact.

"I don't know what I feel for her," he admitted. "She's . . . Well, she's amazing, but I'm scared to open myself up to her. You know, I don't date, and she'd had her share of bad relationships. I don't know, I just . . . I don't know that I can ask her to take on my shit, too."

"You should," I told him. "You deserve to be happy, Garrett, and it's clear that Kate makes you happy."

"Yeah, maybe, I don't know," he groused. "Anyway, let's get to your test results."

"Why?" I scoffed. "Nothing's going to change. The swelling is almost completely gone in my back, but I still can't feel more than my feet."

Garrett sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "But you're feeling, and that's what is important. And the latest scans show dramatic reduction in the inflammation around your spine. I'm telling you, Bella; it's just a matter of time at this point."

"Yeah, I know," I mumbled. "What if my legs cost us the chance to adopt Evan?"

"It won't," Garrett insisted.

"You can't know that," Edward quipped. "His social worker has already said Bella's physical condition could cause us not to be able to adopt him."

"It won't," he said again. "And I know exactly what Heidi Bennett told you, but I will do everything I can to ensure that Evan gets to go home with you."

"I hope so," I whispered.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Now, according to my outline, there are only two chapters left, but because this one didn't go according to plan, lol, I will be adding one in between here and there. So, three more chapters to go!**


	45. Chapter 45

**EPOV — PRESENT DAY**

"Are you sure you're ready?" I asked, hearing the uncertainty in my own voice.

"No," she admitted. "But I need to do this. They need me to do this."

I nodded, dragging my hand over my face and looking out the car window. Bella had just finished her session with Seth, but instead of going home, she'd asked me to take to Clover Elementary, saying that she wanted to see her kids before the school year ended. Due to the incident, as the press was calling the hostage situation that put my wife in the hands of a deranged madman, the school had been closed for almost a month while they investigated the scene and repaired the damage caused when the swat team went in guns blazing. Though several of the area schools had offered to allow the district the use of their buildings, the board decided that the students and staff needed a break in order to deal with everything. Two weeks ago, the students and stuff returned to finish the last few weeks of their school year, and now Bella was insisting that she go visit her classroom.

Sighing, I looked over at her. "I'm scared that if you go in there, you won't come back out."

"I am, too," she admitted, brushing a tear off her cheek. "But I need to get on with my life, Edward. We need to get on with our lives, and facing that classroom is something I need to do in order to heal. I know it's stupid."

"It's not," I murmured, quickly. "I almost lost you in there."

"Please," she whimpered. "Do this with me."

Unable to deny her anything right now, I nodded and pushed open my car door, climbed out, and walked around to the trunk of my car, pulling out her wheelchair and setting it on the sidewalk with the breaks locked. I opened Bella's door and slipped my arms and legs under her before lifting her out and placing her in the car, pressing my lips to hers gently.

"I love you," I whispered, needing to reaffirm my feelings for her again.

"I love you, too." The same need filled each of her words. Bella and I had really been working on our communication, both of us admitting that instead of turning toward each other when Charlotte died, we'd turned away from the other and by the time we found ourselves standing on opposite sides of the red door, we were practically strangers.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed Bella's chair to the entrance of the school, holding the door open so she could roll herself inside. Two security guards were sitting just inside the door and their eyes traveled from me to Bella, their expressions softening. Clearly they knew exactly who my wife and I were. With a nod of respect, they allowed us entry into the school. I pushed Bella's chair down to the office, where we found Jacob Black standing in front of a row of mailboxes. At the sound of the door opening, he looked over his shoulder and smiled. I'd only met him a few times over the last few years, but knew he was a good man, one who cared for all of his teachers.

"Bella," he murmured, shaking his head. "How are you?"

"Oh, you know," she said, waving a hand at her legs. She'd regained feeling almost up to her knee in her right leg, while her left leg was still numb from the ankle upward. "I was hoping to go see my kids."

Jacob smiled. "I think they'd like that. It's been a rough couple of weeks for them. The board decided to rearrange the classrooms a bit, so your classroom is now where second grade was. Mrs. Jeffers' classroom."

"Oh," she replied.

"They worried about how your students would handle going back into that classroom, after . . ." He frowned. "Well, nobody is using that classroom anymore. At least for now."

"I can understand that," she admitted. "So, do we need a pass?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, I think you more than earned the right to go to our kids, Bella. But do you mind if I tag along?"

"No," she said.

He dropped the stack of mail in his hands on the desk and followed us out into the hallway. As I pushed Bella's chair down the hallway, the teachers and students in the other grades came trickling out to watch. It was both oddly comforting and uncomfortable.

Jacob stopped outside of the classroom, motioning for us to wait before he ducked inside. "Mrs. Henderson, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is a special visitor here today."

"Who?" a woman asked.

However, Jacob didn't reply as he pushed the door open and allowed me to push Bella into the room.

For a split second, the room was eerily quiet, to the point that a pin could drop and be heard echoing off the walls. Then, Steven stood up from his seat in the front of the classroom and ran over to Bella, throwing himself into her arms as his sobs filled the air. Kaitlyn was the next child to reach Bella, but only by a heartbeat. In a matter of a few seconds, every one of her students, her kids as she called them, were surrounding her, all of them crying.

"Mrs. Cullen, we missed you," Kaitlyn whimpered.

"Yeah, my mommy said I couldn't come see you because you needed your rest," Steven wept. "But I was worried. She said you were strong, though, and I had to be strong for you."

"Oh, sweetheart," Bella cried. "You are strong. All of you are."

Though, I knew it was hard on Bella for them all to be so close to her, she tried to look at each one of them, noticing the tears that fell down each of their faces. And for several minutes, the room was silent, with the exception of a few sniffles and hiccups as they kids cried with my wife.

Then a little brown haired girl shifted her eyes up to Bella, her lips trembling as the words tumbled out of her mouth. "Mrs. Cullen, are your legs broken?"

Bella sighed. "No, they just don't work correctly right now.

"Because of him?" Steven asked. "Because he hurt you."

She nodded. "But you know what? I'd go through it again."

"Why?" a dark haired boy in the back of the group asked.

"Because nobody hurts my kids," she murmured. Bella took a deep breath. "You know how when someone takes one of your toys without asking and you get really mad?"

They nodded.

"Well, that man's son got taken away from him, and he let his anger get the better of him, and because of that, he felt it was okay to do what he did. But it wasn't, was it?"

They shook their heads.

"That's right. Now, I know you're still scared, and you don't understand why that man came into our classroom. To be honest, I don't either. We'll never understand. Just remember that no matter what, I love you, and I am proud of you. I can't tell you how honored I am to be your teacher, friends. You were so brave, so well-behaved. I love each of you so much."

"Boys and girls," Mrs. Henderson said, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Why don't we show Mrs. Cullen what we made?"

The kids began to cheer as they raced over to their desks, each of them pulling out a piece of construction paper in various colors. Coming back over to Bella, they began handling her their papers one at a time. Each one of them was of them and Bella. Some of them were of her standing in front of them while facing off with Phil Dwyer, while others were of her holding their hands. But on the top of each paper were two words: "Our Hero."

**EIGHT MONTHS AGO**

I groaned as I stumbled out of my car. It was nearly two in the morning and I had to be at the station at seven. As if that wasn't bad enough, once again, I'd found myself in the middle of a fucking bachelorette party, surrounded by drunk horny women who felt they had the right to grope me while I brought them five rounds of tequila shots. The first time I had to serve one of these groups was because our usual server, Aro had called out sick so Laurent asked me to cover, stating that I'd be able to keep all tips I earned. It was a quick two hundred bucks in my pocket. Or so I thought.

The money was easy, but dealing with drunken women hadn't been. I dealt with that enough at home with Bella. So far I had been forced to serve five of these groups, and every time, there was at least one woman who pressed herself up against me and asked if I wanted to go home with her and fuck.

Shaking my head, I'd hold up my hand and show her the gold band on my fingers and tell her, "Sorry, but I'm married."

I may have been an asshole, but I had never cheated on Bella, and I wasn't about to start now.

Letting myself into the house, I tossed my keys onto the table and kicked off my shoes. When I walked into the living room, I groaned when I saw Bella passed out on the couch. Though, a part of me wanted to leave her there, let her sleep off whatever she'd poured down her throat, I couldn't. I walked over to the couch and slipped my arms under her legs and around her back, lifting her off the couch.

Bella groaned as she eyes opened and she looked up at me. For a split second, I saw the Bella I'd fallen in love with staring back at me, but then, her eyes narrowed and she tore herself out of my arms, wobbling as her feet hit the ground.

"Don't fucking touch me," she snarled.

Inwardly I groaned, not in the mood to deal with her right now.

"Where were you?" she asked.

"Out," I said, turning and walking into our bedroom with the intention of taking a shower and then going to bed. However, Bella followed me, always ready to start a fight.

"Where?" she quipped.

"Just out," I groused, shrugging my shirt off and tossing it into the hamper.

Bella walked over and grabbed it, bringing it to her nose. Her eyes flashed up to mine. "What's her name?"

"What?"

"What's her fucking name?" Bella screamed, throwing my shirt at me. "I can smell her all over you."

I closed my eyes. "You're being ridiculous. I had to work late."

"Yeah?" She asked, and I nodded. "Why didn't Jasper?"

"He did," I lied.

"Bullshit," she spat. "He was with me, Alice, Rose, and Emmett, at dinner. The dinner that you were supposed to be at."

I sighed. I'd completely forgotten about dinner, and then Laurent had called and asked me to cover a shift tonight. "I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Oh, well, as long as you're sorry," she bit out, sitting on the side of the bed. "You humiliated me, Edward. I sat there looking like a fool because you didn't show up."

"Fuck, Bella, I'm sorry," I groused. "I forgot. But I can't just drop everything because for one night you decide you want me there."

Bella looked at me with her mouth wide open. "One night? I've been trying to get you to spend time with me for months, Edward! Fucking months! But, no, you're always too busy."

I clenched my jaw. "Sorry, if I don't want to just sit here and watch you drink yourself into a stupor every night."

Bella shook her head, her eyes drifting to the floor. "God, you have no idea how bad I wish I could drink right now." She looked up at me. "If you'd been around, you'd know that I haven't had a drink in a year and a half, Edward."

"So you claim," I argued. "I had to work. You know, so we can pay off our bills and shit."

""Don't do that!" she yelled.

"Don't do what?" I asked. "Point out that we have a stack of overdue bills in the office that need to be paid."

"No, don't stand there and act like you're the only one working to get shit paid off," she scoffed. "It's your fault we have most of those bills in the first place. You were the one who insisted that we had to have this house, that we needed a fresh start. A fresh start for what, Edward? You're never here, and when you are, you ignore me. What kind of life is this?"

My jaw clenched even tighter. "The one I'm stuck with, I guess. Don't worry, sweetheart, I know all about the mistakes I've made."

Leaving her standing there, I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind me. I heard her crying just before I turned on the water in the shower, and stripped off the rest of my clothes.

When I walked back into the bedroom after my shower, Bella was already in bed, though I could hear her crying. I tossed my towel in the hamper and put on a clean pair of boxer-briefs before sliding under the blankets. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and hold her, to kiss her and tell her how much I still loved her. Regardless of how fucked up our lives were, I loved my wife. I just didn't deserve her, not after I let our daughter die because of my selfishness.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Let me clarify again: Edward never cheated on Bella. Neither of them are solely to blame for the deconstruction of their marriage. Yes, Bella drank a lot and pushed him away, but Edward wasn't there when she needed him to be, either. They are equally to blame for all of it. One more regular chapter and then an Epi left.**


	46. Chapter 46

**BPOV — THE MORNING DWYER ATTACKED **

I crawled out of bed and staggered into the bathroom, leaving Edward asleep. Once again, he had stumbled in around three in the morning, reeking of cigarette smoke and booze. I gave up trying to wait up for him months ago, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. It seemed like every night he was coming home later and later, one excuse after another: a beer with his brother, an extra shift at the station, a flat tire, excuse, excuse, excuse.

Turning on the shower, I stripped off my pajamas and tossed them into the hamper. The water was warm, but I still shivered as I slipped beneath it, letting it flow over my shoulders, down my back and front. I went the motions of washing my hair, shaving my legs and arm pits, before using my poof to wash my body, but my mind was on my husband.

I loved him, even though he had all but left me over the last few years. Maybe not physically, but emotionally he was gone. Hell, so was I. My anger over Charlotte's death and his parents' refusal to just leave us alone had cost me the only man who had ever loved me.

"Bella, fucking hurry," Edward snarled, banging on the bathroom door.

"I am," I yelled back.

I turned the water off and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my body before wringing out as much water from my hair as I could out. Sighing, I climbed out of the shower and opened the door, finding Edward standing there with one hand on the doorjamb and the other clutching himself.

"Jesus fuck, I have to piss," he muttered, pushing me out of the way and yanking his pants down.

"Goddamn it," I spat. "You could have at least let me move."

"Yeah, well, I've been waiting for ten minutes," he grumbled, groaning as he started to pee. "Probably used all the fucking hot water, too."

I grimaced and walked into our bedroom. Grabbing the clothes I'd left hanging on the back of our bedroom door, I laid them on the bed before pulling out a pair of panties and a bra. I unwrapped the towel from around me, laying it on the bed before I picked up my panties. As I bent over to step into them, I heard Edward clear his throat. When I looked over at him, I noticed him staring at me, and I almost smiled. Almost because as his eyes met mine, he frowned and walked out of our bedroom.

I stifled the hurt, knowing that I only had myself to blame. I'd been selfish and unrelenting with my grief. I should have just been able to forget about Charlotte, right? Live my life like she had never happened. That's what people seem to think, I could tell by the pitiful looks on their faces when they look at me. Angela, Jacob Black, Edith Marks, Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, not a one of them understood how much it hurt every day, and it was my fault. I was weak. I let my grief cost me Edward; cost me the man who'd owned my heart since I arrived in San Francisco.

I finished getting dressed, making sure my ivory blouse was tucked into my black, dress pants. I was just done my make-up when Edward came storming back into the room and tossed his clothes onto the bed before digging out a pair of boxers out of his drawer and throwing them on top of his pants. He turned toward the bathroom, but stopped when I said, "Where were you last night?"

Looking over his shoulder, he glared. "Out."

I huffed. "Out where?"

"Out," he gritted. "I had a beer with Emmett."

"Why didn't you call?" I asked before he could go into the bathroom. His shoulders tensed and I knew I should drop it, but I couldn't. Not again. "I was worried."

Edward laughed. "Worried? Because I went out with my brother? I didn't realize that Emmett was such a concern," he bit out.

"I didn't mean it like that," I stammered. "I just meant that when you didn't call, or answer my calls or texts, that something happened to you."

"So worried that you were sound asleep when I got home, right?" he asked, turning to face me.

I clinched my jaw together. "That's not fair."

"Of course it's not," he groused. "Nothing ever is, is it?"

"God, why do you always have to be such an asshole?" I snapped. "All I was asking was where you were last night instead of coming home, and you act like I've just committed a crime."

"No, I'm acting like it's too fucking early for you to start being a bitch," he spat, and I barely managed to stifle my gasp.

"I can't live like this anymore," I whimpered, wrapping my arms around my torso and struggling to keep my tears from falling.

Edward tilted his head up, looking me in the eye as he muttered, "If you don't like it, then you can leave."

**PRESENT DAY**

I rolled myself through into the kitchen, pushing myself up to the oven and pulling the door back and checking on the chicken casserole I had cooking in the oven. Edward had had several meetings down at the station today, which meant I'd been left on my own for the first time since the night before Phil Dwyer took my class hostage. I won't lie: I was terrified.

I knew eventually that Edward was going to have to return to work. We had bills to pay, including the boatload of hospital bills that I had built up over the last two months, but I was afraid that he'd start pulling away from me again. I'd just gotten Edward back, the real Edward. Not the angry, distant man who slept in the bed next to me, either. The Edward I had now held me every night, touched me, ether it was sexual or just his arms wrapped around me. I was more in love with him than ever, which made the fear of losing him that much worse.

I heard Edward's car in the garage and quickly pulled the casserole out of the oven, leaving it on top of the stove. A moment later, the front door opened and Edward came walking into the kitchen, pulling at the tie around his neck.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "Something smells good."

"I made dinner," I told him, gesturing to the cranberry Pyrex dish on top of the stove. "Chicken casserole. Your favorite."

"Hmm, what'd I do to deserve your famous chicken casserole?" he asked, walking over to me and placing his hands on the armrests of my chair. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. "I missed you today."

"I missed you, too," I whispered, shocked by how vulnerable my words sounded. "How were your meetings?"

He grimaced as he stood up, shoved his hands into two oven mitts, and picked up the casserole, carrying it over to the table and placing it in the middle. I rolled over to him and grabbed his hand, drawing his attention down to me.

"That bad, huh?" I asked.

"No," he sighed. "They're just concerned about the time I've taken off. I mean, I still have a few weeks saved up, but . . . "

I nodded, blowing out a deep breath. ""So, when do you start back?"

"I don't know yet," he said, sitting in one of the chairs. "I told them I'd talk to you and let them know in a few days."

I wasn't sure what to say, because I didn't want Edward to leave me, even if I understood that we had to move on with our lives, especially if we wanted Evan to come live with us. Heidi Bennett had called us just a few days ago, setting up the appointment for our home visit. It was one more step, and I was grateful, but I worried that she'd take one look at our place and tell us we had no chance in getting him. I loved that little boy. In my heart, he was already ours.

"Okay," I finally said.

"Hey, it's going to be all right," he murmured, sliding his hand over mine.

"No, I know," I sniffled.

Edward sighed, and leaned back in his seat. "How was therapy? Emmett and Rose get you there okay?"

I scoffed. "I guess. Emmett drove like ten miles an hour and kept looking over at me, which meant he was swerving all over the road. Rose eventually yelled at him that if he wasn't going to be careful, she would drive."

Edward laughed. "I'm sure he handled that well."

"Oh, yeah," I snickered. "He muttered under his breath about leaving him alone, but he sped up and paid better attention to the road."

"And how was therapy?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Um, why don't you see for yourself?" I suggested. "There's a progress report on the coffee table."

Edward gave me a look, but didn't say anything as he stood up and walked into the living room. I turned my chair around so that I was facing the doorway and engaged the locks on my chair. I lifted my legs off the foot pegs and, placing one hand on the table, I used the other hand to push on the arm rest of my wheelchair so that I was standing. Tears flooded my eyes as I heard Edward's footsteps edging closer to the kitchen.

"Bella, tell me I'm seeing what I think I am seeing in these pictures?" he asked, walking into the kitchen before shifting his eyes up to me. The photographs of me standing next to the bars in Seth's therapy room fell from his hands, scattering on the floor. "Bella," he whimpered.

"Edward," I cried, reaching for him. He crossed the room in an instant, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against him.

"Oh, my God!" he wept, burying his face in my neck. "I can't believe this."

"I know, baby, I know," I cried as my knees buckled. Edward quickly swept me off my feet. He moved to set me in the chair, but I tightened my hold on him. "Take me to bed."

Edward's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I wondered if he would refuse, but then he turned and carried me out of the kitchen, through the living room, and down the hallway into our bedroom, laying me on the bed. He climbed on next to me, sliding his hand across my abdomen to my hip.

"Why didn't you tell me that you had full feeling in your legs?" he asked.

"I don't," I whispered. "At least not in both legs. I can feel my entire right one, but my left is still numb from my upper thigh to my hip. I wanted to try, and Seth thought I was ready, so . . ."

"I am so proud of you," he laughed. "You just amaze me."

"I just don't want to be weak anymore," I whimpered.

"Baby, you've never been weak," he murmured, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine. "Never."

"Make love to me, Edward," I begged him.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked.

"Yes." And I was. I wanted nothing more than to make love to my husband.

Edward nodded as he sat up on his knees and began to loosen his tie. He pulled it off of his neck and tossed it onto the floor before moving his fingers to his the buttons on his shirt, slowly pushing each ivory button through the holes. He shrugged the shirt down his arms, tossing it onto the floor.

I pushed myself up so that I was sitting and grabbed the bottom of my tank-top, slipping it off and leaving the top of my body nude. Edward's eyes shifted down to my breasts, his tongue snaking out and licking his bottom lip.

"God, you're fucking beautiful," he murmured, sounding like he was talking more to himself than to me.

"You still think I'm beautiful?" I asked, causing him to look up at me.

"Of course I do," he scoffed.

"Bump legs, scars and all?"

Edward leaned forward, gently nudging me backward. His hand skimmed across the first of two scars, the more recent of the two. While it was small, barely more than an inch long, to me it would always be red and angry, a constant reminder of the bullet that nearly ended my life. Much like the vertical scar stretching from my belly button down to my pelvis, my reminder of losing charlotte, of losing the ability to ever have children of our own. I'd always grieve my daughter, grieve the life that had been stolen from both me and Edward, but I vowed not to let my grief overwhelm me again.

"I hate them," he admitted. "The scars, the numbness in your legs, I hate all of it. But I love you, Bella. I want you. All of you. And that means the parts I don't like, too."

I smiled. "That might be the sweetest thing you've ever said," I snickered.

"Ugh, I hope not!" he chuckled. "If so, then I am deeply sorry, baby."

"I'll forgive you," I giggled, sliding my hands down his chest to the top of his pants. Edward's breath clenched in his chest as I pulled at his belt. I kept my eyes locked on his as I slid his belt from his pants, pulled the button, and lowered the zipper. "Take them off."

Edward nodded and climbed off the bed, kicking his pants off entirely. He hooked his fingers into his boxers and shimmied them down, reveling himself to me for the first time in months. At least, in a sexual way. Biting my lip, I sat up and reached out, wrapping my hand around his cock.

His head fell backward as he moaned. "Jesus fuck."

"Does that feel good?" I asked.

"So good, baby," he mumbled. "Don't stop. Just a little more."

My chest heaved as I stroked him, letting my hand glide over his cock. Edward's hips shifted forward, and his eyes were locked on mine, tears filling both of ours.

After a few minutes, he wrapped his hand around my wrist and stopped me, and I understood. He needed to be with me just as much as I needed to be with him. Edward placed his hand on my shoulder and pushed me backward before he reached for my shorts, tugging them down my legs, along with my panties.

Releasing a deep breath, he climbed onto the bed, nestling himself between my legs. It took almost all the strength I had, but I lifted my leg and hooked it over his, pulling him further down on top of me.

"We're going to be okay, aren't we?" I whispered, threading my fingers in his hair.

"We are," he echoed. "I'm never letting you go, Bella. I love you. I need you."

"I love you, too," I whimpered. "And I need you, too. You're everything to me."

Edward leaned down and pressed his lips against mine just before he shifted his hips forward filling me. As we made love, I knew that while my body might be damaged, and I may never be the Bella I was before Phil Dwyer stormed into my classroom, Edward and I would always find our way back together, back to where our love began.

**Thank you for all the reviews. This is the last regular chapter. I will have the epilogue ready in a few days, I hope. Now, the journey hasn't always been easy for these two, and they've both made a ton of mistakes. Maybe you feel that Edward is mostly to blame, or perhaps you see Bella as being the worst of the two. They've found their way back to each other, and in the end, while their lives may not be perfect, they're together.**


	47. Epilogue

**EPOV — ONE YEAR LATER**

"Baby, hurry," I yelled as I grabbed the manila folder laying on the kitchen table and walking into the living room.

"I am," she grumbled, limping into the living room. Her left hand was clutching the top of her cedar cane while her other hand was trying to tuck her blouse into her skirt. "Do I look okay?"

"You look beautiful," I told her, sliding my arm around her waist and leaning for a kiss. "I know you're scared. I am, too, but I have a feeling that today is the day."

Bella smiled and shifted her eyes up to mine. "I hope so. I really do."

"Me too," I murmured. "Now, you have everything?"

She nodded, and gestured to her purse and the small box that was sitting on the coffee table. The box wasn't much bigger than a cereal box, and had been covered in pale blue wrapping paper and a white ribbon. Bella walked over and picked it up, sliding it into her purse, before turning back to me.

"Let's go."

I nodded, moving my hand so that it was on the bottom of her back and leading her to the door. I helped Bella into the car before walking around and sliding in behind the wheel. I looked over at her, noticing the small smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

"I love you," I whispered, knowing when her smile widened that she heard me.

"I love you," she replied, shifting her eyes to mine and looking at me from under her lashes. My heart began to race, as it always did when she looked at me.

Taking a deep breath, I turned away and started the car, carefully reversing out of the garage and heading downtown. Today, after more than a year of waiting, Bella and I were finally going to sit in front of a judge and learn whether or not they were going to allow us to adopt Evan.

The past year had been difficult in so many ways. I had to go back to work, which left Bella home alone more than either of us wanted. Her insecurities over me leaving her crept up more than a few times, but I did everything I could to assure her that I wasn't going anywhere. We'd made it through hell, I wasn't about to leave her now.

Shit, I battled my own fears about our relationship, too. Especially when Bella went back to work the following September. A part of me wanted her to quit, to stay home where I knew she was safe. That first day, I must have called her a dozen times to make sure that she was okay, that nobody had gotten to her. It was silly and awkward, but the last time she went to that school as a teacher, she came out with a bullet hole in her. Thankfully, Bella was patient and understanding with me, promising every time I called that she was okay.

"I'm so nervous," she whispered as I drove.

"Me too," I admitted, unashamed of how I felt.

"If the judge says no . . ." Bella trailed off, the words hanging over both of us. "Do you think he'll be there?"

I nodded, knowing she was talking about Evan. "Probably."

Bella sighed, but didn't say anything else as I drove the last few blocks to the courthouse. It was ironic to me that the last time we'd found ourselves there was when Alice and Jasper were getting married, when Bella reached out to my parents and begged them to change for us. Many times over the last few years, I'd wondered how our lives would have differed if she hadn't called them, if she hadn't pleaded with them to let their pride go and accept me, Emmett, and Alice for the people we were. At the time, I thought maybe they could, but they couldn't. Snide comments about Jasper, Rose, and Bella, derogatory looks and hateful glares, pointed judgments over our career choices, Carlisle and Esme Cullen refused to change, refused to see past their own hate to see how much better Emmett, Alice, and I were with the people who loved us.

And in the end, that had been their downfall. Four months ago, Esme and Carlisle were on their way home from dinner when they struck another car, killing the family of four on their way home from a visit to their grandparents' house. Esme walked away from the accident with scratches and bruises, while Carlisle suffered a broken arm. Both had been drinking and Carlisle had been arrested for driving while under the influence, four counts of vehicular manslaughter, and reckless endangerment.

I wanted the book thrown at them, for them to finally see how their actions hurt other people. Killing my daughter hadn't done a damn thing for either of them, so I don't know what I expected the accident to do anything either. The judge preceding over Carlisle's case granted him leniency, however, stating that this was their opportunity to change who he was. Carlisle was given ten years' probation and ordered into a treatment facility for ninety-days.

Meanwhile, Esme was dealing with the social aftermath of their recklessness. From the way Tanya Denali told it, my parents had been effectively blackballed from society, shunned for being reckless and uncaring. Not only that, but the family murdered by their carelessness made sure Carlisle and Esme paid dearly. The remaining members of the family sued Carlisle and Esme, taking nearly every cent they had. Last I heard, they'd used the money and set up a foundation in honor of the family who had been killed. Bella and I made a donation to their cause last month, knowing firsthand the devastation Carlisle and Esme left behind.

My parents continued to reach out to us, begging us to forgive them, but it was too late. Taking Charlotte from us, trying to buy our forgiveness, and the constant disregard for our feelings wasn't something we'd be able to get over anytime soon. While I hated that Evan would never know the Carlisle I knew as a small boy, the one who would play in the leaves with us every Thanksgiving, or taught me how to throw a baseball, I knew that I would be a better father than him. I would raise Evan to think for himself, to find the love of a woman like Bella, and fight for her.

I was shaken from my thoughts as I pulled into the parking lot, finding a space toward the front. Shutting the engine, I turned in my seat and looked at Bella, who was biting her bottom lip.

"Hey," I murmured, drawing her attention to me. "No matter what happens here today, I'll love you. You know that, right?"

Bella nodded, causing tears to sprinkle down her cheeks. "And I'll love you, too. I'm just scared. It gets harder and harder to leave him."

"For me, too," I admitted, reaching over and taking her hand.

For a year, we'd been playing the waiting game. Bella and I went to marriage counseling, and worked on our communication. Bella was released from physical therapy three months ago, and while she still had a limp, and the occasional numbness in her legs, she was able to walk with the use of her cane. She'd never be one-hundred percent, and we had along accepted that fact.

Heidi Bennett kept her word and set up a visitation schedule. For the first couple months, we only got to see Evan four times, then she changed it and let us see him every week, and now, we were seeing him almost every day. Always under her supervision, or Kate's. While I understood their need to protect Evan, I wanted to take him home, where we could be a real family. I had been afraid to love him, but I never had a chance. He was my son, and would always be mine.

"Okay, let's go," Bella whispered.

I climbed out of the car and rushed around to Bella, opening her door and helping her out. I kept my arm around her as we headed inside, taking the elevator up to the third floor. When we stepped off, we were surprised to find Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Ben, Angela, Garrett, Kate, Seth, and Jacob Black waiting for us. When we learned that Seth's Jacob was the same Jacob from Bella's school, we were shocked. Bella didn't know that he was gay, not that it mattered of course. They were in love, and that's all we cared about.

"Hey," Bella whispered, and I tightened my arm around her waist. She still struggled with being around everyone, especially since she had to depend on them so much to help her out when I went back to work.

"Hey, sweetie," Rose said, walking over and hugging my wife. I saw Bella's eyes flutter close when Rose's four month belly pressed against her, knowing that she struggled everyday with losing Charlotte. Like I did. We always would, we'd just learned that it was important for us to communicate our feelings. Holding everything inside had nearly destroyed us, and we vowed to never let that happened again.

But we were happy for Rose and Emmett, who were expecting a boy in five months.

"Where's Evan?" Bella asked, looking over at Kate, who had been Evan's foster mother for the last year. It was unusual for her to keep a child that long, but Evan was special.

"He's with Heidi," she told us.

Bella nodded, and shifted her eyes to the courtroom door. "I guess we should go in."

"Wait!" Alice exclaimed, holding her hand up and causing all of us to look over at her. "Before we go in, we'd like to say. To both of you." She paused and took a deep breath. "Today, regardless of what that judge says, everything is going to change, and we know that there is a chance that he won't get to come home with you. And, well, we want you both to know that we're here for you anytime, okay? Day or night."

"We love you," Emmett added, smiling. "We're a family. And that includes Evan."

"Misfits," Jasper said, shifting his eyes to Bella. "Remember?"

Bella nodded, bringing a hand up to her face and brushing away her tears. "We love you, too. So very much."

I couldn't speak. My nerves were getting the best of me and I knew if I did, I'd end up sobbing like a three year old. So, instead, I simply nodded and hoped that they would understand that everything they just told us was felt by us, too. We were a family, a group of misfits who had found a place together.

I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist as I led her into the courtroom, automatically spying Evan sitting at the front table with Heidi. His eyes met mine and a wide smile spread over his face. He looked up at Heidi and said something, causing her to laugh and smile as she nodded. Immediately, he was on his feet and through the set of swinging gates, launching himself in my arms.

The last year had changed him so much. He'd grown three inches, and gained twenty pounds, but considering how fragile and neglected he'd been when he was taken away from Phil Dwyer, the extra weight looked good on him. Made him appear healthy. His blond hair had been combed, which I knew bothered him. He told me during one our visits that he liked my hair and was always dragging his fingers through his so that it would stick up, too. Something that amused Kate.

"Hey, little man," I said, giving him a hug before letting Bella pull him from my arms. He wrapped his arms and legs around her, and I tightened my hold on her, knowing how hard holding him would be on her body. But she wouldn't let him go.

"Hey, Dad," he murmured. "Momma, why are you crying?"

Bella laughed through her tears as she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Because I missed you."

"You saw me yesterday," Evan scoffed, rolling his eyes just like Bella always did.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she giggled. "I'm a girl. I'm allowed to cry."

Evan laughed, but before he could say anything else, the bailiff walked into the courtroom with the judge following him. Heidi shifted her eyes over to us, reaching out toward Evan.

Reluctantly Bella set him a down and whispered that he had to go back to Heidi. Though I knew he didn't want to, he didn't argue with her and walked through the set of swinging gates and stood next to his social worker, who placed her hand on his back.

Heidi had done everything she could to fight for us, stating that if it was up to her, he'd already be ours legally. But it wasn't solely up to her. The judge had ordered that us each to sit with him privately, where he proceeded to ask us questions about our entire lives. I couldn't speak for Bella or Evan, but I held nothing back, needing him to understand that Evan was my son, that I loved him, that I loved Bella.

"Please rise," the bailiff said, standing in front of the judge's bench with his hands clasped in front of him. "The honorable Judge Alistair Banks presiding."

The Judge took his seat and banged his gavel before placing his stack of papers on top of his bench and looking around the courtroom at all of us, his eyes traveling from Emmett to Rose to Alice and Jasper, Garrett and Kate, Seth and Jacob, Ben and Angela, all of whom were seated around us, offering us whatever support they could give me and Bella. He looked at me first, and then Bella, his lips pressed together in a tight, thin line before he looked over at Evan, who I could tell was near tears. If he didn't get to come home with us today, I didn't know what would happen. He'd already been through so much in his young life, and if anyone deserved better it was him.

"Well," the judge started, taking a deep breath. "I won't drag this out any more than necessary. After having the opportunity this week to sit down with Edward and Isabella Cullen, along with Evan Dwyer, I've made my decision."

Bella tensed next to me, her hand searching for mine. I clasped hers tightly, needing to touch her as much as she needed my touch.

"But," he said, and I groaned, knowing that he was drawing out this moment, "I would like to first say, that in all my years on the bench, I've never found myself facing a situation quite like this." He shifted his eyes to Bella. "Mrs. Cullen, you suffered a horrible ordeal at the hands of this boy's birth father. It would have been understandable if you hadn't wanted anything to do with Evan, but you embraced him, took him into your arms, and declared him to be yours. That takes a lot of strength and courage. I commend you for being strong enough to see past the actions of an angry man and see the child he'd abused."

The judge turned and faced me next. "Mr. Cullen, much like your wife, you've been able to see past the man who hurt her, who hurt Evan, and see that they needed you. It's clear to me that your love for both is strong. I'll admit, I worried about you. You're a cop. You've seen the darkness in people, and too often, that tends to follow people home. And while I'm sure it has a time or two, you and Mrs. Cullen have stayed strong, fought for your lives, and I commend that, as well."

Next, he looked over to Evan, his eyes softening. "Young one, you're a remarkable child. You have a bright future and I know that you'll flourish even more with Edward and Isabella Cullen as your parents." Bella gasped, her hand tightening on mine as I struggled to keep my tears from falling. "Therefore, I am pleased to announce that the adoption of Evan Dwyer by Edward and Isabella Cullen is granted."

"They're my momma and daddy now?" Evan cried, standing up.

"Yes." The judge laughed as Evan tore himself away from the table, and burst through the swinging gates again, throwing himself in our waiting arms.

Our sobs could be heard echoing throughout the courtroom, and I barely heard him tell Heidi to make sure we signed everything and have it on his desk as soon as possible before he banged his gavel, dismissing the court. Our family was gathered around us, their hands finding a way to touch each of us, letting us know that they were here for us, that they would always be here for us.

After a few minutes, Bella pulled Evan onto her lap and dug into her purse, pulling out the small, blue gift. She sniffled as she smiled and held it out to him. "This is for you, sweetheart."

"A present?" he asked, in total awe. "For me?"

"Yes," I laughed. "Open it."

Evan's eyes were wide as he slowly pulled the ribbon off and peeled the paper back one corner at a time. Once he had the paper off, he placed it in my hands and pulled off the lid to the small white box, his eyes lifting up to meet mine and Bella's.

"Momma?" he asked, his lips trembling as he lifted the small, silver picture frame. We'd taken the picture on his last birthday, just three weeks ago. Heidi had bent the rules and allowed us to have a small party, where everyone gathered to wish him a happy birthday. He cried, saying that he'd never had a part before, or presents. Knowing how much he'd suffered at the hands of that monster nearly broke me, but my son needed me to keep it together, for him and for Bella. That night, as she scrolled through the hundreds of pictures that she had taken, she found one of me and her standing on either side of Evan while he blew out his candles. We don't know who took the picture, but the look of happiness on all three our faces was clear.

The next day, Bella printed out the picture and bought a frame that had the words "The Cullen Family" etched across the bottom.

"We're a family now, Evan," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "Daddy and I love you."

"I love you, too," he cried, once again burying his face in her chest while his other arm reached for me, trying to hold onto both of us.

Bella and I would always grief the loss of our daughter, of the live we could have had, but Evan would never be thought of as her replacement, but as her brother, the missing piece of our family. Together, we'd spend the rest of our lives making sure he knew he was loved, that he was our son. Our love had been challenged, but in the end, when I found myself looking into her chocolate brown eyes, I would remember that's where our love began.

**Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all the amazing reviews to this story. There were times when I really struggled with this one, but in the end, I love the way it turned out. I might be writing an outtake or two, so please be patient.**


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